Blog Archives - Shadow Maven

What Makes a Witch?

7/29/2024

There are many books available to teach anyone about the many different types of witchcraft and how to practice them. I have read more than my fair share of them, for sure. The question is, does reading/learning about and creating your own experiences through it make you a witch? In my opinion, yes. While there are some practices that have initiation rites and a structured hierarchy (and if that is your chosen path, I do suggest seeking out a coven to discuss it), this path is not for everyone. If you are a solitary practitioner, like myself and many of my friends, your initiation would be more of a dedication; not necessarily to a particular god or goddess either. Your dedication can simply be to practice your craft to the best of your ability and in a way that is for your highest good. You can choose to follow a particular path or pantheon, or choose the more eclectic path; as long as it feels right for you.
Now, that is not to say that there are not those who would tell you that unless you have been initiated by a High Priest/Priestess you are not a real witch. That if you don’t have the right tools, or know the proper rituals you can’t be a witch. There are even those who will tell you that if it is not in your blood/lineage you are not a witch. That is fine for them to believe, but you should never let anyone tell you who you are or what you believe. You cannot gatekeep faith. The fact that (as I believe) we have all lived many lives among different cultures with different beliefs and practices means our souls, whether we consciously remember or not, have had many experiences that still shape us/our personalities and contribute to what we believe in and are drawn to in this life time.
So what does make a witch then? As it says above the entrance of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi; “Know Thyself”; your beliefs, your desires, your gifts and limitations, everything you can learn about yourself is important because it is you. All you really need is you, your dedication to your path/purpose, and your openness to the universe and your connection to it all. Everything else is knowledge (hopefully) turned wisdom. Never stop learning.
So what do you really believe in? Is there a pantheon that speaks to you do you feel drawn to aspects of many? Are you more comfortable practicing solitary, or would you prefer the comradery of a coven? Will you choose to dedicate yourself to a particular god/goddess, wait for one to be drawn to you, or would you prefer not to dedicate yourself to any one god/goddess in particular? It is all up to you!

Which way do you swing..?

7/22/2024

Pendulums have been used for divination for a very long time. It is thought they were even used by the Pythian Oracle of Delphi in 400 BC. Personally, pendulums were one of my favourite go-to tools for quick answers. As with any form of divination, there are many theories as to where the answers come from. Perhaps it is your higher self, your guardian angels/guides, a god/goddess, or the universe itself. Regardless of the answer, pendulums are easy to use, very portable, and can be made with almost anything. Some of my favourites are made from crystals, but I have metal ones too. You can make one on the go with any kind of chain or string, and an object like a ring, a pendant, or a button even. You just need to ground and center yourself and open the connection. Pendulums are mostly used with yes and no questions. You can determine how your pendulum will answer yes or no by asking it to show you a yes then a no, and watching how it swings each time. Then try asking it simple questions you already know the answer to as your baseline. If, for any reason, it gives incorrect (or no) answer to your baseline questions then it is not a good time to be asking anything, and you should cleanse your pendulum and try again later.
While many people use them for divination, they have other uses as well. They can be used to find lost objects, in healing session to determine things like areas of blockages or chakra balance/spin, dowsing for water or minerals (though dowsing rods or branches are more commonly used for this), and have even been used to determine the gender of a baby while still in utero (Have you tried this? Was it accurate?).
Three important things to remember are:
Do not over use your pendulum. While it can be helpful to consult your pendulum (or other forms for divination) when you are trying to make sense of a situation or find an answer to a problem, you should not consult them for every little thing. It can be easy to become dependent on such things, and that is not healthy. You need to trust in yourself, your intuition, and your decision-making skills. Do not repeatedly ask your pendulum (or other divination tools) the same question. Regardless of whom/what is answering the questions, they will not appreciate being pestered with the same thing over and over again. Your pendulum may stop answering you if you do that. If you don’t like/agree with the answer you get, sit with it. You may not agree, but you asked, and you got that answer for a reason. Your pendulum is not broken. You can ask clarifying questions, but, as I said above, don’t keep asking until you get an answer that you like. If you are going to do that you may as well not ask it at all. I do find pendulums to be an easy divination method that pretty much anyone can use. I have found multiple missing objects using mine. Have you ever used one? Do you prefer ones made of crystal or metal or something else perhaps? What do you use yours for?

Find Your Joy

7/15/2024

There is a lot of talk these days about inner work, shadow work, personal care, and other trauma releasing/healing activities. This is no surprise given the rise in cases of depression. I am in full support of anything that makes you feel healthier and happier. While recognizing and releasing negative feelings, and healing trauma and drama in one’s life is an important step, I would like to also recognize that this is only just a step in the process. This release can feel amazing, especially at first, but then what? Often, we expect that if we can just “let go” of things that we will feel better; that it will somehow “fix” us. However, when we release something there is then a “void” where it once was. What happens if we do not fill that “void” with something? Well, often we can fill empty, unfulfilled about all our hard work, and maybe like nothing was really “fixed” at all. I am not talking about filling empty spaces within with “busy” work without. What I propose is to fill that “void” with things that truly bring you joy. Do you know what sparks your passion? What brings you joy? Maybe you have forgotten, or maybe you told yourself that it these things are silly or you don’t have time for them..? They aren’t, and you should make time for them. Even the little things, like a quiet cup of tea before work or bed, doodling, reading a book, creating something, taking a walk, or nurturing your plants or pets can make a difference. Big things like spa days, vacations you have to save and plan for, sky diving, or camping trips are also good. The important part is that it brings you joy and/or sparks your passion. It is not an obligation, but something you look forward to, and then experience it fully in the moment. If you don’t know what activities make you feel happy this way, then make a list of things that sound like they would and try them. If it doesn’t then cross it off and move on to the next one next time. I know that journaling/writing is not for everyone, but keeping a log may be quite helpful. Even if it is as simple as a record of the date / activity / how it made you feel. I would recommend, for the first while, taking an empty journal and writing an entry for each day with one thing you are grateful for and ne thing you did to bring you joy. If you miss days, or can’t think of anything put the date down anyway (and maybe an entry of why you could not, regardless of the reason). That way there is a record of the good and the not so good. You might be surprised how helpful knowing both sides can be. No judgement necessary.
So, while you are out there working on yourself and making your inner progress, remember to find the time to welcome joy and passion into your life. Like Greg (Gregisms) on TikTok always says “Find your joy”.

Grounding vs Centering

7/8/2024

Before we do spell work, meditate, or any other spiritual work like divination, we usually take a minute to ground and center ourselves. This is taught in practically any craft or spiritual book you will find on the market. Many times the author will assume that you know/understand what this means, and will often give their take on easy ways to accomplish this. These two concepts are either used together or interchangeably as well. They are actually two different practices and can be used together or separately. There are different ways to do both as well.
Grounding, usually done first when it is necessary, involves connecting oneself to the earth and its energies to clear out any excess or negative energies one may be harboring so they can be cleansed and recycled through the earth, and then bringing the grounding earth energy into oneself. Earth energy is stabilizing and helps you become more aware of and connected to your surroundings, as well as the present moment. A few ways in which you can do this is by visualization (usually yourself as a tree with your energetic roots reaching through the earth to the center and connecting yourself to it), earthing (walking barefoot in the grass opening yourself to the connection with earth), sitting in nature (on the grass/a rock, by or in a stream, against a tree, etc..) and opening yourself to your surroundings/practicing mindfulness, meditating with a crystal like obsidian or smokey quartz, or by listening to a guided meditation. These are just a few ways. You can use whatever technique works for you in each situation.
Centering is about balancing your energy and bringing it into alignment. Rather than connecting with outside energies like you do when grounding, you are connecting with the energy of self this time. Not only does this help bring about an inner peace, it offers you the chance of self-reflection, making sure the energies you have held on to during grounding are both calming/peaceful, and your own (something empaths should be checking regularly, especially after social situations). This can also be done through visualization, guided meditation, breath work (alternate nostril breathing techniques are good for this), or dance/movement (which can make you more aware of your body and how it is feeling, as long as you are present mindful about it).
Both of these techniques are beneficial, and necessary to keep you balanced, help you manage stress, and work with/manage the energies used when performing any kind of spell or spiritual work. What is your favourite technique to use? Do you practice these before or after your work, or both? Have you heard of/used any unique techniques for either, would you share them if you have?

You Are Sacred Space

7/1/2024

I am sure we have all heard the phrase “My body is a temple”, and the trend of treating our bodies with more love and respect is on the rise. While this is a positive thing, have you ever considered that a temple is a sacred space, and, as a temple, so is your body. If you practice magick of any kind you know the importance of treating the space in which you do magick with respect. You cleanse it, you enter it in the proper frame of mind to do magic, you bring into it the best tools and ingredients you can, you decorate it in way that resonates with you and your particular brand of magick, and you dress in a way that makes you feel magickal/powerful when you enter that space. Even if your practice is not particularly ritualistic, you understand/use the proper frame of mind needed for the intent of your work, and the importance of cleansing magickal space. The same should go for your body…every day. With any magick we do, regardless of tools used, rituals performed, or energy channeled, the magick comes from within. It is our intent, our will, and our belief that directs and propels it into being. Wherever we are, and whatever we are doing, we always have sacred space to work in, because we are sacred space. With that in mind, we should cleanse our bodies of negative energies at the beginning or end of every day (easily done in the shower, using visualization, or tools like crystals/tuning forks/singing bowls, etc..), we should watch our words (you can find an article about the neuroscience behind this here https://brm.institute/neuroscience-behind-words) and be mindful of our thoughts and actions (which ties into an earlier blog post called Speaking of Spirituality from March 18th about mindfulness). We create our life though our thoughts and actions, just as we manifest our will into being with them.
Knowing this, how have your thoughts and actions been shaping your world? Do you consider yourself to be sacred space, or do you believe you must create it each time you need it?