As many of you may know, the practice of spirituality and magic has taken the world by storm. While this all may seem new and exciting, we as a community need to watch out for how this newfound popularity in witchcraft has caused the spread of misinformation, whitewashing, and cultural appropriation. When getting into witchcraft, it is necessary that you do the research, put in the time, and most importantly, support and LISTEN to people of color when they speak on these issues. While this is a very broad subject, here are a few things to know to start you off.
Closed practices are closed practices this is not up for negotiation. Avoid cultural appropriation at all costs. For example, White Sage and Palo Santo. Native peoples for centuries were not allowed to practice their religion, this includes the practice of smudging, which is an important cleaning and purifying ritual used by Northern American Natives tribes for centuries before the so-called “witchtok” became trendy. Before it became this, it was illegal for Natives to practice their religion until 1978 (Hopkins). Today, these people are still fighting for their rights and to be able to practice their culture. Using this as a tool to be trendy minimizes the cultural significance of this practice. Not to mention how these plants are not being harvested correctly either. “When using medicinal plants, it’s important that the plant is used sustainably. When we pick sage, we always leave the root and say a prayer of thanks for our harvest. This is as much a part of smudging (or sagging) as burning the plant is,” (Hopkins). The plants have not been harvested correctly, meaning the White Sage is now considered an endangered plant, the same goes for Palo Santo as well. The last point I will make before going into my instructions is to EDUCATE YOURSELF. All of this helpful information about respecting cultures and avoiding cultural appropriation is all on the wide world of the internet. DO NOT burden your BIPOC friends or community members to educate you. When getting into witchcraft of any kind, it is integral that you put in the time to know what you are doing and be respectful of BIPOC and other cultures. Now, let's get into it! One of the easier ways to get into the wide world of witchcraft is to make moon water! Moonwater is water charged by the moon and it has many spiritual properties. You can make moon water during any phase of the moon, but it is most powerful made under the full moon. Moon water can be used for many many things. Advanced people will use it for rituals and cleanse their altars but it can be used for many simple things too. It can be used to cleanse and refresh your space of bad energies. It can be used to water your plants. It can be used to cleanse your crystals. You can incorporate it into your face-washing routine to enhance your confidence and glow. You can also put it in your bathwater. It can also be used as a releasing and manifestation technique for those who practice that. Also, you can just drink if you wish! Moonwater has endless possibilities for use. FULL Moon Water What you’ll need:
Directions:
Works Cited Leopold, Susan. “What Is Going on with White Sage?” United Plant Savers, 18 Aug. 2021, https://unitedplantsavers.org/what-is-going-on-with-white-sage/. Burton, Nylah, and Jay Polish. “The Ethics of Burning Sage, Explained.” Bustle, Bustle, 12 Feb. 2021, https://www.bustle.com/wellness/is-burning-sage-cultural-appropriation-heres-how-to-smoke-cleanse-in-sensitive-ways-18208360. Herstik, Gabriela. “Here's How to Make Moon Water-and What to Do with It.” Cosmopolitan, Cosmopolitan, 1 Nov. 2021, https://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a34415032/full-moon-water/. Joho, Jess. “How to Be a Witch without Stealing Other People's Cultures.” Mashable, Mashable, 29 Oct. 2021, https://mashable.com/article/witchtok-problematic-witch-cultural-appropriation. Stokes, Victoria. “Imbibe of Lunar Energies with This DIY Moon Water Recipe.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 30 July 2021, https://www.healthline.com/health/moon-water. - Annie Comments are closed.
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