Respect closed practices! Either go through the proper channels to be initiated or leave them alone!
Respect indigenous and diasporic cultural traditions! Many of these cultures were nearly wiped out by colonization. Respect the boundaries of what you can and can’t practice as an outsider.
Purchase crystals from reputable sources! Some crystals are mined unethically and through minimally-paid or slave labor.
Stop supporting shops and authors who appropriate from closed cultures! It should be obvious, but don’t buy dreamcatchers from a non-Native person and avoid metaphysical authors who perpetuate racist stereotypes about marginalized religions and magical traditions.
Listen to and prioritize witches of color/practitioners of color in dialogues about racism, cultural appropriation, and exotification in the magical communities.
Examine your own craft and see if you are unintentionally appropriating any cultures
Educate yourself on practices outside of your own so you don’t unintentionally invalidate or appropriation marginalized religions and spiritual practices.
Tattoo artist: Do you take some kind of pain suppressant before coming in?
Me: No. Why?
TA: Because this piece has taken a total of nearly nine hours and you never move.
Me: (That’s cause: Magick, my friend.)
Skin be steel flesh be stone Nerves be strong, as gem or bone Let pain be but kisses, or breaths of air Magic be my armour, for i will not bear Neither the sufferings of the dead or the agonies of hell Runes of blood, now serve me well
Hey Christian witches and assorted magical folk! Want to pick up a novella about a Baptist chaos witch and a Catholic ceremonial magician trying to keep their marriage afloat while living in a haunted house? Plus LGBTQ protags, psychic exes, and smarmy secret societies?
(Image: Engraving on titlepage of Maier, [Tripus aureus], 1618 [X])
Alchemical writers specifically, and much of the medieval occult world in general, employed various forms of imagery in order to obfuscate their writings. In some cases, this intentional misdirection is obvious to modern readers, even if what was being hidden is hotly debated. In other cases, that obfuscation isn’t so clear.
One example of the latter would be Agrippa’s formulations for Planetary Incense. There are various animal parts called for, which may aggravate the modern sensibility, but which are also based on common enough sources that the question lingers: were these intended to be taken literally?
Harold Roth, of Alchemy Works, [suggests not], and points to the Greek Magical Papyri, and the writings of some notable ancient physicians to make his case.
This is not a complete list, as can be inferred from the lack of such things as Brain of a Cat, and Blood of a Stork, but it does help shed light on the way these ancient writers thought. It also gives me hope that other lists might exist as well.
A
Adder’s Tongue: Dogstooth Violet; Plantain
Ass’s Foot: Coltsfoot
B
Bat’s Wing : Holly Leaf
Bat’s Wool : Moss
Bear’s Foot: Lady’s Mantle
Bird’s Eye: Germander, Speedwell
Blood: Elder sap or another tree sap
Blood from a Head: Lupine
Blood from a Shoulder: Bear’s Breeches
Blood of a Goose: Mulberry tree’s sap
Blood of a Hamadryas Baboon: Blood of a spotted gecko
Blood of a Snake: Hematite
Blood of an Eye: Tamarisk Gall
Blood of Ares: Purslane
Blood of Hephaistos: Wormwood
Blood of Hestia: Chamomile
Bloody Fingers: Foxglove
Blue Jay: Bay laurel
Bone of an Ibis: Buckthorn
Brains: Cherry tree gum [this phrase usually designates any fruit tree gum]
Bull’s Blood or Seed of Horus: Horehound
Bull’s Foot: Coltsfoot
Bull’s Semen: Eggs of the blister beetle
C
Calf’s Snout: Snapdragon
Capon’s Tail: Valerian.
Cat: Catnip
Cat’s Foot: Canada Snake Root and/or Ground Ivy
Clot: Great Mullein
Corpse Candles: Mullein
Cuddy’s Lungs: Great Mullein
Crocodile Dung: Ethiopian Earth
Crow Foot: Cranesbill, wild geranium, buttercup
D
Devil’s Dung: Asafoetida
Dog: Couch grass
Dog’s Mouth: Snapdragon
Dog’s Tongue: Hounds Tongue
Dove’s Foot: Wild Geranium
Dragon’s Blood: Resin of Draco palm
Dragon’s Scales: Bistort leaves
E
Eagle: Wild Garlic of Fenugreek
Ear of an Ass: Comfrey
Ears of a Goat: St. John’s Wort
Englishman’s Foot: Common Plantain
Eye of Christ: Germander, speedwell
Eye of the Day: Common daisy
Eye of the Star: Horehound
Eyes: Inner part of a blossom; Aster, Daisy, Eyebright
F
Fat from a Head: Spurge
Fingers: Cinquefoil
Five Fingers: Cinquefoil
Foot: Leaf
Frog: Cinquefoil
Frog’s Foot: Bulbous buttercup
From the Belly: Earth-apple
From the Foot: Houseleek
From the Loins: Chamomile
G
Goat’s Foot: Ash Weed
God’s Hair: Hart’s Tongue Fern
Gosling Wing: Goosegrass
Graveyard Dust: Mullein
Great Ox-eye: Ox-eye daisy
Guts: The roots and stalk of a plant
H
Hair: Dried stringy herbs; ripe male fern
Hair of a Hamadryas Baboon: Dill Seed
Hair of Venus: Maidenhair fern
Hare’s Beard: Great mullein
Hawk: Hawkweed
Hawk’s Heart: Wormwood seed or wormwood crown
Head: Flower of a plant
Heart: Walnut; bud, seed, or nut
Hind’s Tongue: Hart’s Tongue Fern
Horse Hoof: Coltsfoot
Horse Tongue: Hart’s Tongue Fern
J
Jacob’s Staff: Great Mullein
Jupiter’s Staff: Great Mullein
K
King’s Crown: Black Haw
Kronos’ Blood: Cedar
L
Lamb: Lettuce
Lamb’s Ears: Betony
Leg: Leaf
Lion’s Hair: Tongue of a Turnip [i.e., the leaves of the taproot]
fair--y backup 
