A 10,000 person protest could flip and torch a few cop cars, but 100 people acting independently could cut the valve stems on 100 different cop cars and render them unusable and unrepairable
A 10,000 person protest could smash some windows of businesses and offices, but 100 people could superglue 100 buildings’ locks shut overnight
A 10,000 person protest could loot a few stores, but 100 people skillfully and persistently shoplifting could liberate just as much over time
1,000 people could blockade the construction of an oil pipeline, but it only takes 1 to turn the emergency shutoff valve on an existing one
100 people could camp in treehouses and prevent a clearcutting, but it only takes 1 to spike a few trees to drastically slow them down or even destroy their equipment
I’m not saying that mass actions aren’t important - no doubt, they accomplish things that couldn’t be done otherwise - but be aware of what can get done independently when those protests aren’t coming together. Get creative, stay active, direct action gets the good
Sooooo true. I don’t recommend doing a lot on your own with no buddy and no support system, but two people who are determined to fuck shit up? Now there’s power. Three or more people? Now that’s an incredibly force.
There have been cases where thousands of people in an antifascist protest could not prevent the nazis from also showing their faces and doing their little march, but one affinity group figuring out which pre-meet location the nazis used and fucking up all their cars did just that.
There have been cases where thousands of protesters, hashtags and signatures could not prevent a deportation but one person faking a seizure on the flight before take off could, and it saved that refugees’ life.
And I could go on. Direct action is magic.
This is something that has proven to happen and be effective, especially if you mix both. Environmental activists have staged protests in one location to distract media and law enforcement but sent a small team of 1-5 people to shut off pipelines at a different location. Obvs they do end up getting caught and arrested, but it def slows things down/causes more damage than anything a large protest can accomplish
You see, here’s the hard part: This shit is still people in scenic effing nowhere are incapable of doing.
Living in a city is an absolute privilege. Why is that the biggest thing so many people don’t get?
Heya, small town anarchist here!
Are you claiming small towns and rural areas do not have.. *checks notes*… cop cars, shops, pipelines and trees? Like, several of these actions are only possible in effing nowhere because that’s where the pipelines and the coal mines and the forests are.
Sure, I can’t mobilize 100 people in my small town, but this shit also applies when it’s only you and 1 buddy. And yes, I know the challenges of doing something in secret in a place where everyone knows everyone. You need to put in significantly more effort in not being seen at all.
But to pretend that the list above doesn’t have many many things rural activists can do with a little bit of preparation is bullshit.
Sorry, but this list of possible actions comes off as a bit too casual. There are reasons to engage in actions that can result in serious jail time and many brave activists have done so. But only after very serious consideration of the usefulness of the action, and of the possible consequences. Tree spiking, for instance is against federal law (therefore carries substantial penalties) and was renounced by Earth First back in the 90s for being too dangerous, after a worker was severely injured by a tree spike. Some of the actions mentioned here, like disabling police cars, don’t have a clear purpose. How would that contribute to the cause against police abuses? When cars are publicly damaged as part of a mass protest it’s a manifestation of the strong emotional reaction to an injustice. But a calculated, quietly done damage does not have the same message. Neither does shoplifting. Especially if it’s done secretly, how would it send a message at all?
I’m going to skip the tree spiking claim because hater-of-terfs has addressed that like a dozen times already, including in the notes of this post.
As for serious jail time: yeah, nobody is disputing that. All the ‘10.000′ people actions also risk serious jail time, so this isn’t about going riskier but about impact and which actions are worth the risk. In many cases, smaller, secret actions present less chances of getting caught and therefore less risk.
The point of impact seems to be where our approaches differ. You seem very focused on ‘sending a message’, and that is possible when you’re doing small secret actions. You can do something in secret and then send a very public anonymous message declaring why you did the thing. You can also time those actions around bigger events to amplify the message.
But many of these examples focus more on the direct result of the action. Cop cars that aren’t operational mean less cops can get around to abuse people and more hours and budget gets tied up in dealing with damaged cars. Shoplifting means people have food and other stuff that they need. The purpose of these things is to have an immediate practical impact. The message they could potentially send is secondary.
Finally: I do not think we need to be solemn and serious every time we talk about risky actions. We can talk about these things with glee.
Often, being in the middle of nowhere, having fewer resources or being in a position where less risk can be carried requires getting more creative about what protest action is done.
Absolutely true. At the same time, there are opportunities to be exploited. For example, there may be significantly fewer cops around, a smaller action might make a bigger impact in the local news because so little else is going on, there may be targets nearby that can not be found in cities, and allies may be found that you would not expect. Like, maybe that local farmer has never been an environmentalist but doesn’t want a pipeline in his backyard either.
All this will vary from place to place, so it requires local knowledge and creativity to see what works best where you are.
Sometimes the ideas you come up with will not be considered activism by city punks. An example that comes to mind is local woman who started a sewing and knitting circle and invited local women and women from the nearby refugee center to come together and share snacks and crafts. Which created bonds of friendship where previously there had been tension and xenophobia. Which later transformed into material aid and political action.
It is a simple way to charge up and cleanse your crystals without having to focus on visualisation. Simply put your crystal in the center of a piece of paper, and write around it two categories of words: the things you want to fill your crystal with, and the things you want out of them. Then draw arrows pointing into the crystal for the positives, and away from it for the negatives.
This is a visual way to charge/cleanse without having to maintain focus. I’m certain it could work for any object you want to use, not just crystals!
Good idea!
This is brilliant!
This would be especially useful for beginner witches who are learning. Use it as a visual aid.
I’ll be honest. As soon as someone says “Antheia, think of a bright light between your hands,” I’m out. While visualization works very well for me when I’m grounding, meditating, or shielding, I find it hinders rather than helps when I get to actual spellcraft and more complicated energy work. While visualization is a skill that is very useful and good to practice, here’s a few solutions.
Do something physical. When you’re putting up your shields, lift your hands with your shield. When you’re cleansing yourself or something, rub it down as though you were washing mud and grime off of yourself/the object. Imagine the heat of your skin is the energy that you’re putting into something. While you might feel a little silly at first, I’ve found that doing something along with your energy work can be really helpful in putting you into the right mindset. In terms of spell craft, sometimes making something that you can hold physically will help, as well.
Command it. You will do as you please. Saying it out loud can also be helpful if you’re having trouble visualizing. “I’m raising my shields/My shields are up.” “The energy will…” “My intent is…” Simple commands can be very effective, just don’t get too caught up in having good grammar or anything. Sometimes one word works. Sometimes you might want to dictate what you feel or what you want to happen.
Do some breathing exercises. These are not for everybody, but again, something physical for you to do. A very simple exercise is to imagine your shields swelling big big bigger when you inhale, and then coming in tight around you, right against your skin, when you exhale. Works with energy, works with some spells, helps with meditation and grounding.
Close your eyes. Sometimes, especially when you’re a beginner and can’t see what you’re doing, just closing your eyes can make a difference. By taking away that sense, you sharpen your other senses a little more, and it gets a lot easier to practice. When I’m in a very high or low part of my mood disorder, I have a lot of trouble concentrating on magic and on energy. I find that closing my eyes can help me by disconnecting me a little from what I’m seeing and I can pay more attention to what I’m actually doing.
Again, these are things that I do when I’m having issues with visualization. If they don’t work for you, try something else! These aren’t the only ways, and you can combine them however you’d like. I’d also love to know the practices that other people use in energy work, be it visualization, one of these techniques, a combination, or something else entirely!
I’m really good at visualizing, but I understand that some people have a harder time with it. This is for those people. :)
Today, someone asked me for some ideas about keeping an altar (or shrine) with limited space in the home – even keeping a small table wasn’t an option for them. I have some ideas that I want to share (feel free to add your own). These ideas are useful for limited space and perhaps if you’d prefer to keep your altar hidden.
Set up your altar on a shelf – this could be a plain old wall shelf, a book shelf or shadow box cabinet sort of thing. You might have one in your home already, but you can find them at thrift shops, yard sales, flea markets, Etsy, or most stores that sell home decor (this will be pricier).
One of the perks of having your altar on a shelf is that not only does it save space, it can be set up in a way to look like a collection of pretty items/decorations to other people (should you wish to keep the shelf’s purpose to yourself). You can keep it simple, or make it as elaborate as you like. Here’s an advanced example:
Set up your altar on a windowsill. This is pretty straight forward – just keep in mind that some objects, materials, books, and crystals may be damaged or faded by prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
Set up your altar in a drawer. Cabinet drawer, dresser drawer, whatever works for you. For safety, don’t light candles inside it. Use it for storage like in the below image, or set it up neatly in whatever way you like.
Use a box. Shoebox, cardboard box, wooden box – whatever you have on hand. Keep your supplies inside, then use the box as a platform to serve as your work space. Cover it with a cloth or scarf, so it looks nice and you don’t scuff the box. The box can be kept in a closet or under the bed, out of the way when you don’t need it. You can mark the inside with personal sigils to help keep it hidden and private.
Make a mini altar. Also called traveling altars or shrines, these function by filling a small container (an Altoid tin, jewelry box, trinket box, etc) with small amounts of supplies (tealight candles, vials of oil, incense cones, herbs, etc). You can make items (mini besoms, for example), re-purpose items or buy them. Here’s a tutorial with more photos of mini altars: How to Make Altoid Tin Traveling Altars.
You can buy compact altars that are already made, like the one pictured above (source) from various on-line shops. This one currently costs about $30, so making your own is usually easier on your wallet and more fun.
Here’s the little wooden box I use as a travel altar, which I bought at a thrift shop. However, this exact box and lots of other pretty ones are available on Amazon right here (most under $10).
When all else fails, consider your practice and interests. Are you into gardening? You can create a sacred space outside among your plants. Are you into cooking? A breadbox in the kitchen could house a hidden altar. Are you an artist? Draw or paint an altar or symbolic images. You could even frame images and put them up on a wall.
Lastly, let’s talk budget.Youdon’thave to have every tool or material under the stars – it’s okay to work with what you’ve got and make things yourself. Check out Witchcraft On A Budget for some tips. Remember that craft shops and dollar stores can be your best friends when putting together altars or shrines.
A list of flowers and their magical (and otherwise!) meanings, histories and attributes, appreciatively sourced from Conway’s Big Little Book of Magic: A Wiccan’s Guide to Altars, Candles, Pendulums, and Healing Spells.
I don’t always want actual flames when I’m using the element of fire in my work, and some people can’t have fire where they practice. This is part green witchery, and part kitchen witchery. The good thing about this is that it can be made so it’s 100% edible, and can be used in cooking, or spells where you might want to eat or drink the spell when you’re done.
You’ll need:
2 parts sea salt
1 part paprika
1 part red pepper
1 part garlic
I like to throw them all in a dry pan and heat them real quick while I mix them up. Just enough to get some of the energy and intent from the flame into the mix. The salt is just the base, it holds the energy from everything else in a real nice way, and makes it perfect for using as a spice. The paprika, red peppers, and garlic are all tied to the element fire. They’re all warming spices, and have the same effect as a fire. In small amounts, when controlled, this is a warming spice that adds just a bit of heat. Too much though, and it can burn.
These can be used to represent the element of fire at your altar, circle, as an offering, ect…anything where you might want a lit candle, you could use a jar, pinch, or pile of fire salt. Anything where you want to add the properties of fire to a spell, you can add some fire salt. Want more passion? Add a pinch of fire salt. Need some creativity and inspiration? Just a dash will do. Want to curse some jerk head? Fire salts can help you out. I also like them for protection spells and warding.
I made my own Fire Salts today based on this recipe. I used two parts salt, and one part of each: black pepper, garlic, paprika, and chili powder.
These are my basic interpretations for each of the runes of the Elder Futhark. While these explanations may reveal the basic meanings of these symbols, at least according to my own research and experience, they only scratch the surface of the layers of wisdom that can be found in the runes. For deeper study, there are many wonderful books out there that expand on them. I would personally recommend Diana Paxson’s Taking Up the Runes as a great starting point.
As a personal aside, I would consider myself a fairly conservative interpreter of the runes. I feel that the best basis for them can be found in reliable sources, such as existing lore and the rune poems. As such, I attempt to adhere closely to these sources when it comes to explaining the meaning of each symbol.
Fehu: Fehu means cattle and signifies wealth, but it is a wealth that is best used when moving through the community generously. The rune cautions against hoarding wealth and cites the discord that can result.
Uruz: Uruz stands for aurochs, which was a species of horned cattle common to the ancient world. As such, it is a rune of primal strength and determination. The rune can also mean rain.
Thurisaz: Thurisaz represents the giants of the Norse tales and is a rune of chaos and unrest. It could also be interpreted as a rune of Thor, which would turn the symbol into one of protection against those same chaotic forces.
Ansuz: Ansuz is the rune of Odin, which makes it a rune of wisdom. In the Anglo-Saxon rune poem the symbol also represents the mouth, lending an additional meaning of wisdom through communication and messages.
Raido: Raido means ride and is a rune of travel. While the journey may be swift and joyful, the rune poem warns of the toll the journey will take on the horse. This suggests that one must take care of those who help us along the way.
Kenaz: Kenaz is the torch that illuminates the way through darkness to a warm hearth and good company. However, as the fire burns for warmth, it can also cause pain and may indicate illness.
Gebo: Gebo signifies the rune of gifts and generosity. The rune also represents the cycle of reciprocity and the right-relationship that results when maintained.
Wunjo: Wunjo denotes the rune of joy. It is a bliss that can spring from prosperity, overcoming anxiety and sadness.
Hagalaz: Hagalaz represents hail, making it a rune of destruction and painful transition. All is not for naught however, for the ice seed will melt, giving water and growth to the hardier crops that survived.
Naudhiz: Naudhiz means need, and is a rune of constraint, oppression, and hard work that goes unrewarded. This is a challenging symbol, but the rune also indicates that lessons could be learned from the experience.
Isa: Isa stands for ice, fair to look upon but dangerous to traverse. This is a rune whose message is one of caution in situations where a particular decision seems desirable, but could be perilous. On the other hand, Isa can suggest stability and calm.
Jera: Jera is the rune for year and the harvest. It is manifestation of the rewards for hard work, with prosperity and abundance that sustains the individual or the community.
Eihwaz: Eihwaz is the symbol for the yew tree and can mean strength that is drawn from the line of ancestors. Eihwaz is also interpreted as the rune of Yggdrasil, which implies connection to the cosmos.
Perthro: Perthro is the dice-cup, the vessel from which the lots are cast, and the rune of chance. Perthro can represent uncertainty in everything from light-hearted gaming to the vagaries of fate.
Elhaz: Elhaz is the rune of the elk and the sedge. The shape of the rune resembles that of the antlers of the elk and the thorn of the sedge, making this a symbol of protection.
Sowilo: Sowilo represents the sun, making it a rune of illumination, victory, and power. The rune can also mean guidance, as one can always depend on the course of the sun to lead them to the end of their journey.
Tiwaz: Tiwaz is Tyr’s rune and is a symbol of justice and truth, potentially at the cost of self-sacrifice. Tiwaz also has an aspect of guidance in that right-action will always set you on the correct path.
Berkano: Berkano is the rune for the birch tree, indicating feminine strength and resourcefulness. From this meaning, it can be a rune for nurturing, healing, and regeneration.
Ehwaz: Ehwaz means horse and expresses the relationship between the horse and the rider. It is a rune of partnership, with attention given to those who help us along our journey. Naturally, the symbol can also represent movement and travel.
Mannaz: Mannaz is the symbol for “man” or “human,” and emphasizes the interconnected nature of human relationships. Mannaz can show the spectrum of these relationships, from comfort in good company to the more negative aspects of the human condition.
Laguz: Laguz is the rune for lake, making this a symbol for water. As such, this is a rune of potential and change, perhaps with the suggestion for flexibility through various situations. It can also mean the unconscious mind and the hidden wealth that lies beneath the surface.
Ingwaz: Ingwaz is Freyr’s rune and takes on the domains of the Vanic god as a symbol of fertility, productivity, and abundance. The rune can also symbolize masculine strength and the transforming cycles of life.
Dagaz: Dagaz means day and is the rune of new beginnings. With the day also brings hope, and is a welcome rune when life has been difficult. Dagaz can also signify the present moment and a call to “seize the day.”
Othala: Othala is the rune of the home and encompasses everything that entails, from the physical homestead to familial relationships of blood and heart. Othala also symbolizes the connection to the ancestors, from genetic inheritance to physical property passed on through the family line.
I’m in to bullet journaling. It is a very easy and convenient way of keeping track of daily events and tasks.
Do you know what else I figured out? It’s actually a very good way to keep a grimoire.
What I dislike about the aesthetic of grimoires is that I always feel there is a need to make it real fancy or look perfectly nice and have it totally organized, like it’s for a graduate level art class. I really admire those who do this, but I 100% know that is not for me. I want to be able to find information and record it in a few moments, while still being organized and neat enough that it doesn’t drive me bonkers.
Aspects of bullet grimoires:
Record information in a fast and practical way
The index keeps track of stuff without the need to reorganize
It’s smaller than a binder so you can take it anywhere with you
You can add to it during the day without the need for ritual or special tools
There is still room for as much personal journaling and art as you want
Organized and neat enough that it won’t drive you bonkers
First, make sure you check out this website if you are unfamiliar with bullet journaling.
Ideas for keeping a bullet grimoire:
► Don’t put the index on the first page. Reserve it for an introduction or dedication, like,
OH MY GOD this is a fantastic idea and I’m going to try this!! ❤️ I will probably use this for my correspondences, but I’ll use my full grimoire for my rituals and spell instructions. Maybe this will help some of my lovely followers, too~ Have fun, my witchy friends!
This was taken from a Group on Facebook, thought I would share it here!
Learning to Use a Mortar and Pestle This tool will allow you to create wonderful, healthy foods and bring out the essential oils and flavor essences of your herbs and spices in a natural way.
You can also consider it an effective tool to use when the power goes out. Just as you may have a hand grinder for wheat and you’ll now have a hand food processor.
A small glass or porcelain set will be good to grind tablets and medications. Used as a kitchen tool you can make sauces and mix spices with it.
Just so you know – the word mortar comes from the Latin word mortarium, which means “receptacle for pounding” and pestle comes from the Latin word pestillum, meaning “pounder”
Before You Use Your New Mortar and Pestle the First Time:
Just like a new dutch oven, you need to clean and season your new mortar and pestle. This process will clean out the stone dust that is inherently left during the manufacturing process (assuming you purchase yours new).
Wash it in clean water, without detergent and let it air dry. In fact, you should never wash it with soap unless you want your fantastic creations tainted with it. You should always use it dry, a wet mortar might gum up your dry ingredients.
Roughly grind a small handful of white rice. Discard and repeat until the rice grinds white. It will take several grinds. If you have a white mortar and pestle, plan on grinding three times. This is somewhat cumbersome in the small mortars but is great practice and you should be a grinding pro by the time you’re done. If your mortar has a tendency to slip on the counter while you are learning, put a non-skid shelf liner under it.
Next add 4 cloves of garlic, mash and muddle.
Add 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper to the garlic. Grind it all together, enjoy the smells, and discard.
Wash it again in clean water, without soap, and air dry.
In their book, Alchemy of the Mortar and Pestle, D & P Gramp suggest this rule of thumb when adding ingredients:
Driest ingredients first (dried herbs and spices, flour, etc.) Moist ones next (garlic, onion, brown sugar, fresh herbs, etc.) Oily ones next (anchovy, nuts, oils, cheese, butter, etc) Wet ones next (lemon juice, stock, vinegar, honey, soy, etc) Taste and add salt if needed
For those of you here who are witches or if you are simply an herbalist, you also know that you can make many things with the use of a pestle & mortar.
The book Alchemy of the Mortar and Pestle by D & P Gramp is chock full of recipes. Not only do they give some background on this wonderful tool, their recipes are easy to follow.
I love my mortar and pestle, I have a soapstone one as well as a wooden one. the wooden one I use for things like salts and resins, while the soapstone I use for my herbs and roots.
With all magickal tools, keep them safe from small hands, because its easy for them to pinch their fingers. Also, make sure you at the very least wipe out the inside of the mortar after each use with a damp paper towel or cloth. (especially if you use yours for resin)
Try to have one that is used for Food grade preparation, and another for Magick. This way, any poisonous herbs you use in incenses and such are not contaminating your delicious food.
Often I have the hankering to write a spell or ritual, but have no idea what about. A protection spell? A luck spell? A power spell? This site has a lovely Random Spell Generator! Granted, it’s used mostly for CRPG-style spells, but you can definitely pick and choose some topics to find something you really like.
“Glamour of Seek Ruthless Cat”, ”The Glove of Soldiers”, “Infamous Summoner’s Evocation of Spikes”, ”Cats’ Moon of Metal”,”Perfect Hex of Seduce Haunt”, and my personal favorite, one that I actually decided to write and will be posted in the next day or so: “Wyrms’ Spell of Bone and Sustenance”.
Reblog with some spell ideas that you found interesting!
They also have generators for Academic Magical Studies, Rituals, Invocations, Technomancy, etc!
Resource: Should You Swear in YA? (And Other Rules About Cursing)
Your mother probably taught you not to curse when you were a child; as a teenager, you learned the freedom in screaming FUCK at the top of your lungs. Now you’re an adult (or at least a focused, responsible writer), and the problem with swearing has snuck back up on you: what is too much, and where do you draw the line between authentic and vulgar? While there’s no single rule for when to swear and when not to in literature, here are some resources I hope will help you avoid that long debate with your editor in the future.
There’s no life lesson here, no “remember” this for me to wrap up this post with. Use your discretion, Folks. At the end of the day, authenticity is key, and if it’s really an unacceptable word, well, editors are trained to remove it for you (try to avoid it in the titles).
BodyMaps is an interactive visual search tool that allows users to explore the human body in 3-D. With easy-to-use navigation, users can search multiple layers of the human anatomy, view systems and organs down to their smallest parts, and understand in detail how the human body works.
Since talk of forming a study group is going around, I cannot help but ‘promote’ the app HelloTalk. This app is specifically designed for language acquisition, aiming to connect learners with native speakers (but also more experienced learners). On this app, you can post statuses, pictures, and more in your target language, and other people can correct them and also add comments. Corrects appear in both red (before) and green (after), making it really easy to learn from them! It is also possible to post audio clips, or to share audio via chats so that people can correct your pronunciation without always having to schedule face-to-face conversations (making it very convenient to collaborate without conflicting schedules). Of course, there is the option of setting up both voice and video calls so that we have the option to speak live with one another, should the need arise. We can also form group chats for all of these things, so that we may share text, audio, and even video within our own bubble of space.
Overall, this app is phenomenal for group language study. The only problem so far, other than a few pestering people trying to hook-up, is that there aren’t a lot of Icelandic learners or speakers on the app yet. That could change, though, if we all decided to hop on it and bring the Icelandic ‘section’ to life.
If you decide to join HelloTalk for learning Icelandic, search “fjorn_is” to find me! I can make a post later to share all of our usernames and tags, or you can feel free to post it on the blog (via submission) yourself!
After waiting several months, I finally got myself this dictionary. I haven’t had the chance to use it much yet (just got it last night), but it looks great! This, in combination with ‘textbooks’ and Madison-Wisconsin’s online dictionary, should prove to be very useful!
I was reviewing lesson 1 of my Icelandic ‘textbook’ today. I felt like sharing some of my notes, so here they are! they are not very detailed, but they can still come in handy. Perhaps some of you will find them useful (especially if you are just starting out). My apologies, by the way, if the handwriting is a bit sloppy; I’m not used to taking digital notes quite yet.
Since I didn’t include the vocabulary section of my notes, heita means ‘to be named’. So, for the last picture of this photoset, ég heiti… means ‘I am named…’, þú heitir… means ‘you are named…’, etc.
I thought I would share my knowledge about tags with you all, because I noticed when this topic comes up, most simmers don’t know what it is about tags on tumblr.
Tumblr allows you to use 30 tags!
BUT:
Thefirst 5 tags are your best bet
Only the first 5 tags show up in tracked tags
So make the first 5 count! (Like use your creator/artist name)
Sostart with the important tags for tracked tags / search and then add your blog tags like “my edits” or “my cc”.
External Links:
Posts with external links will NOT show up in search
Not Linkable:
Deviantart
Kickstarter
Ko-fi
Patreon
Tinyurl
If you know of more please let me know and I will add them!
Linkable
Instagram
Twitch tv
Youtube
If your post links to a non linkable site, I recommend to use the “content source” link (click on edit post and enter your link in the gear in the top right corner of the edit post options) then write something like “download link is at the bottom left of the post”
