Lydia Vvinters

I'm an eclectic, #gardening green #pagan #witch who #writes , makes #art does a lot of #naturephotography and makes illustrations.

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Last Notes

2026-10-27 18:20:16 UTC

Daily irk: Who in the stars has ever really thought “I wish I could follow my toothpaste on Facebook” ? Was the marketing department snorting it?
And oh, good, I can finally learn more about my peanut butter on TikTok…
Are we so cursed with an excess of mediocre content that we have to invent such bizarre, nonsensical levels of interest?
Oh, wait, AI…

2026-10-27 13:11:04 UTC

"You shouldn't care what other people think." Is almost always expressed by someone who never had to fear anyone just for being who they are.

2026-10-27 11:38:41 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers 27, Do you collect (unaltered) natural materials for projects?
Sure, for projects... yes.. that's why....
Collecting treasures is a whole thing in my family. I honestly thought everyone did this. My mother collects shells, my aunties collect rocks, my cousin collects crystals, my father used to collect seeds, my uncle different types of sand, my grandfather had a thing for wood and branches, and I collect just about anything that catches my eye. Many of which does eventually feature in some illustrations somewhere and my MCs have a similar urge to collect things.
#witch
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2026-10-27 11:20:53 UTC

#FediCoven Q16 Who are your familiars?
For me, it's absolutely the Eurasian jaybirds in my gardens. They're fun, mischievous creatures with a bit of a brutal side to them.
Perhaps it's because they're so temperamental that they're so good at communication. If they're displeased for any reason, the neighbourhood will be loudly informed. Though, I'm frequently the only one listening.
The jays are familiar presences to me but not pets or extraordinary magic spirits, but wild friends whose behaviour I observe and interpret. Their alarm, curiosity, or play invites me to pay attention to what’s happening around and within me. Which I then use in my practice.
Perhaps I'm reading too much into it. The world does seem significantly more at peace with an ample peanut supply, but isn't a certain symbiosis with other wild creatures magical? Does what we see in their behaviour not tell us a lot about our world and ourselves?
That is my idea of what a witch's familiar is. It's the creatures around you who make you see your own existence in a different light.
#birds #pagan #paganism #witch #witchcraft
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2026-10-27 06:47:33 UTC

My mother and aunties were listing reasons why getting old can be fun while working on a puzzle:
“When you’re an old lady, you have such freedom to go around casually slinging compliments at folks and brightening their day. I’m a complementing machine every time I go to the shops.”
And I’m so down for that. So many people are too hard on themselves and fail to see their own qualities. So today, I’m going to complement someone on something.… who’s with me?

2026-10-24 14:55:55 UTC

The mushrooms here are struggling this year. It’s been too dry this summer. Still, I did find a couple of happy little mushroom friends this morning.
#fungi #Mosstodon #nature
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2026-10-16 21:22:43 UTC

I cast a curse of itchy underpants upon all clothing designers who have ever put fake pockets on anything!

2026-10-16 17:16:51 UTC

#FediCoven 15 How do you make room for grief in your practice?
Grief can hit me pretty hard, as I have lost a lot already. It comes and goes, but since self-fortification is part of my practice, so is dealing with grief. I keep an altar, do silent dinners where I invite them to join, sometimes I even sing for them. One thing I have never really done, which I'm currently looking into this season, is sharing the grief. To share their stories, but I don't know if I'll be brave enough.
So, I'm starting a Book of Remembrance, to list and describe those whom I carry with me. A page for each person. A little handwritten thing, that I could consider sharing. Perhaps with that, a bit of the grief can reside outside of my heart. As it can be so fucking debilitating to carry every day.
#witch #pagan #witchcraft #paganism

2026-10-14 18:13:53 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers 14, How do you feel when a show that is non-musical inserts an episode with a musical number?
The only one I know is the Buffy one, and I will always adore that one, just because of the sheer delight, adoration and giddy excitement my friend radiated when we watched it together. I would withstand eons of cringe to see such joy in my friends.

2026-10-14 18:06:44 UTC

#PennedPossibilities 1155, Do you enjoy musicals?
Honestly, no, not really. I've tried, since I thoroughly enjoy the enthusiasms and joy it sparks in others, but, closest I get is like Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, maybe. Though I suspect that's mostly because snarky teenaged me liked it ironically, but I forgot the ironic part somewhere along the way. Well that, and it has theremins... We always play it to ring in the new year. Goes really well with a campaign glass of vodka.

2026-10-13 15:52:44 UTC

#PennedPossibilities 1154, MC POV: Name a time you laughed the hardest. With whom, and why?
Looking up from her effort to make a perfume that smells like purple sunshine, Freya pauses, presses her lips together, before she silently chuckles at the thought.
"Well, since we both sort of skipped our teenage years, Mona and I sometimes suddenly revert to snarky eye rolling teenagers wielding a ridiculously archaic and obscure Astrarial vocabulary. It's such a convoluted language that despite what many academics like to claim, not many can follow it at all, but most do tend to pretend they do. Which is how we can be bitchy AF during our lectures. Whenever Mona has to address the royal advisors on magicka, she starts with an Astrarial greeting she made up, which translates into something like;
'Good morrow, gentlemen. What a comfort to behold so many minds gathered beneath one roof, and what a trial to discover they have brought so few thoughts between them.'
And none of them have ever noticed this is not a polite greeting at all. It's surprising what you can get away with while wielding a polite smile. I often shake hands with those disapproving old fart while saying something that translates to;
'Sir, you possess the appetite, manners, and delicate discernment of a hog. Though I fear the comparison does scant justice to the creature.'
And I've actually heard them unknowingly repeat it to each other."
#writing

2026-10-13 12:26:18 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers 13, Schadenfreude?
Don't mind if I do, karma can be such an entertaining bitch.
The trouble with the concept of Schadenfreude is that there inevitably needs to be an authority on what joy is shameful. Especially as a woman, you're expected to be endlessly forgiving. They even try to sell you this as a cure-all for happiness. And honestly, that all just feels like a push to be compliant and not cause trouble.
So, I am a big fan of karma and love me a bit of spite. I refuse to pretend to be endlessly forgiving, and since that is considered shameful, I'll have some schadenfreude for breakfast, thank you very much.
#feminism

2026-10-13 10:51:50 UTC

Yay, #Portfolioday ! Always love this fediart showcase. It's such a good occasion to hunt for some lovely fellow artists to follow. Best way to cure AI slop nausea.
So, hi! I'm Lydia. I make witchy spooky vintage style goth things, and I am illustrating my own novels. Mostly it's a manifestation of overthinking philosophical, symbolic things. Like this idea of the serenity of death. Also, I thought I'd toy with a bit of art Nouveau and bam!, tarot card. But I'm not mad at it.
I'm not available for commissions, but I just feel like joining in. Because yay art!
#fediart #witch #halloween #art #mastoart
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2026-10-11 09:19:54 UTC

This teeny tiny translucent friend I named Tony tagged along tangled in my hair after a morning walk through the forest. I hope my backyard strawberry patch makes a nice new home.
#snail #nature #naturephotography #macrophotography
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2026-10-11 08:48:00 UTC

My other half calls it moss-yoga when I’m contorting, bending, crawling, and balancing through the branches to do some macro photography on yet another delightfully pretty bit of fungi or fluff. And I can only recommend it. You might find a tiny snail in your hair when you get home, but you’ll have journeyed to a a magical tiny realm that is so much more serene than our own.
#Mosstodon #lichensubscribe #macrophotography #nature #moss #fungi
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2026-10-09 19:52:31 UTC

As goth as I have always been, I think this is actually the first time I've spent some proper time painting a skeleton. Pretty sure I'm getting some bones wrong, but it's an interesting structure. I think I'll have them dress up in sparkly, dew-covered cobwebs and dance around in the forest. Because why can't the remnants of our corporeal forms represent a serene, elegant death?
#fediart #wip #halloween
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2026-10-09 15:45:33 UTC

#FediCoven Q14 What, if anything, does “the thinning of the veil” mean to you? What realm lies beyond the other side?
*Insert optional spooky noise. 👻
For me, honestly, I feel it flips cause and effect. I'm more introspective, more aware this time of year. As many seem to be at the onset of winter. We're collectively rediscovering that awareness at this time, and I think that's why it seems as if there is something different, when it's us who are different.
And whatever it is that we're more in tune with, even if that's just our own senses, it's not evil, or death, or scary, but rather neutral. It's a time I connect with my ancestors, sure, but also a time in which I connect more deeply with myself. And, as far as I know, I wasn't halfway into another world this summer.... I think... (wait... was I? I did grow some otherworldly tomatoes this year...)
We humans like to stick things into boxes, categories, worlds, and realms. Which makes so much spirituality seem as other, as not here, as something that needs some sort of privilege to access it. And perhaps, despite this, there are realms, but for me, in that case, I see us as inhabiting the middle of a Venn diagram of weird realms. We're an ever shifting balance of past, present, future, memory, death, and subconscious. Placing such concepts “beyond” only leaves room for charlatans to claim they have a key for sale.
---
Image: Plates of spirit photographs from Georgiana Houghton’s Chronicles of the Photographs of Spiritual Beings and Phenomena Invisible to the Material Eye.
#witch #ghosts #pagan #paganism
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2026-10-09 10:45:16 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers 9, Our next featured creator is a 'relentless optimist.' How full is your glass?
It's a transparent shiny thing holding transparent shiny liquid stuff. It's a world and an ocean I left out because I forgot about it. When my depression speaks, it's proof that I'll never be able to take care of myself enough to pass for a regular human. It's not just half empty, it's pointless. (My depression really rocks the absolutes hard) When that shuts up, it's the manifestation of the batshit crazy nature of the mundane, a collection of molecules with infinite possibilities. Which makes the fullness of the glass only a tiny aspect of the metaphysical splendour that is, hmm, well, stuff.
So, I can't really say I'm an optimist or a pessimist, really. The glass is awesome, depressing, overwhelming, shiny, and wet regardless. Not something I can sort into a dichotomy. 🤷‍♀️

2026-10-07 11:05:32 UTC

#EroticMusings 71, Have you ever created characters with desire that persisted beyond death?
You could say Freya, Scio, and Oneiroi desire each other beyond death. They're part immortal abstract entities stewarding an aspect of reality, who float around the cosmos together. They're doing a bit of a corporeal dance presently, but they've already desired each other for multiple eternities, and time isn't all that linear in Ethereal.
A star, a shadow, and a nebula, perpetually waltzing around existence.
#writing

2026-10-07 10:03:54 UTC

#PennedPossibilities / #PennedPossibilitiesImposterToot
¹¹⁴⁹ ⅓ Your MC/MCs come across some spooky scary skeletons... What's next?
Happens a couple of times. Once in the middle of a forest clearing. They're remnants of a large witch burning pile from years ago. Freya makes a point of gathering moss, mushrooms spores, and flower seeds to make the area flourish.
The other time it's in a large hole inside a cave, while Freya is with the Obsidian militia. They then send for Misha and Mertisaka to do a ritual, so the spirits attached to them can find their way to the stars.
Though, the spookiest skeleton is Marius'. He carries his skeleton around even as a ghost. It's an eerie glowing blue one because of a lifetime of poison that corrupted his spirit. The skeleton floats inside his spectral form, making it flow with the movement as if it's trapped in pudding. Freya eventually blasts those bones to ashes. Which is better than what Dorius' bones were used for. The witches cursed him to forever feel his own decay, and then send all his bones off with a flock of ravens, to be dispersed around the nation. Not a fun fate, but a well-deserved one.
There are a lot of remains scattered around Ethereal, but the attitude towards death is different. It is not hidden as much as it is IRL. So, these remnants of corporeal forms aren't that scary to the MCs. Not even to the kids. They're more a symbolic connection to a the life story. Something that anchors to that lifetime, and so can be utilized in temporal magick.
#writing

2026-10-06 05:56:52 UTC

#goodmorning
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2026-10-04 16:33:52 UTC

#PennedPossibilities 1147, How does your SC feel about those around them?
Lazarus might have severe case of resting bitch-face, but he loves his family and his recruits. So much so, it scares him. Which is why he can be possessive, cranky, protective, strict, commanding, even a bit paranoid. Luckily, his little 6yo niece, Pelly, will stomp on his foot when he gets that way, and he respects that.
#writing

2026-10-04 15:51:34 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers 4, Do you include details in your work that are important to you even though no one else will likely notice?
I create for me, so yeah, loads. My drawings and illustrations have details too small to really be noticed by others and my writing contains details that are dear to me, but only form a bit of the randomness of the world building.
Often, on their own, those details seem a little unimportant and even silly, but ultimately, it's part of what I create. Bit of a fingerprint in my work.

2026-10-04 14:18:36 UTC

#FediCoven Q13 How do you feel about Halloween?
I've always loved this liminal time of the year, and don't necessarily, really see Halloween as an appropriation of Samhain, Día de los Muertos, or like the Wild hunt, but there is something about it that irks me. Clearly it is a commercialized descendant of several traditions, so perhaps it's how much it cheapens the connection to the dead. For me, it's a profound time to connect with departed loved ones, and ancestors. The idea of that being sold back to me in such a single use plastic form feels a little gross.
For witchkind, it can be strange. Suddenly, our craft is fashionable for a few weeks. I get requests for seances, spells, dealing with ghosts, and even goth-themed bachelor parties. It's an odd mix between interest and mocking.
Next to this "All Hallows’ Eve" is certainly a very Christian framing. Which is not, hmm, my cup of tea. We've been dealing with the spirits, the dead and this liminal time of year around the harvest and onset of winter for as long as people have worked with this land, so I'd rather stand in that tradition.
And yet, seeing mischievous little dressed up witchlings skipping around the street, extorting treats from my neighbours, does make me smile. So, I will don my pointy hat and hand out cookies decorated with protection sigils.
#witch #witchcraft #pagan #paganism #Halloween

2026-10-03 06:17:46 UTC

Behold! My wand of ancient magical fluff! I cast a spell of funky mushrooms upon this land!
#Mosstodon #nature #witch #fedicoven
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2026-09-27 10:19:04 UTC

#silentsunday
Silent clouds dancing paintings in the sky.
#photography #clouds
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2026-09-26 16:45:50 UTC

#FediCoven Q12 Within the context of your practice, who are your ancestors?
To me, they're the ones who walked a path leading up to my own. Most directly, it's my grandmother from my father's side (the original Lydia), and my great-grandmother from my mother's side (Lize). It feels rather coincidental that these two are/were blood relations of mine.(It always irks me when folks limit this connection to just blood.)
Going further back, the concept changes from individuals to more abstract. Those who fought for the freedoms I have. Those who created the space for me to be able to be who I am. The people that made or maintained space for rainbows and witches.
It's tempting to name some examples, but it's specifically the ones with no names, the ones who have been forgotten. The eccentric and unconventional, the women who fought to exist on their own terms, the queer and the outcast, and those who lived with psychological struggles before such experiences could be understood or named. Those who saw the world differently. The ones who felt the rain, breathed the elements, remained conscious of existing, of being alive, and held a reverence for the unseen and the unknown. They paved the way for all that is me. Bless their spirits. I’ll carry the torch forward.
#witch #pagan

2026-09-26 15:59:01 UTC

2026-09-25 12:09:51 UTC

I think my garden just proposed…
#gardening #witch
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2026-09-20 08:52:33 UTC

#FediCoven Q11 How do you acknowledge the autumnal equinox and do you celebrate Mabon?
While I don't directly set out to celebrate Mabon, when the leaves turn, I feel and celebrate the change of the season. I find myself doing things and reflecting in ways that pretty much coincidentally match the sentiment of this Wiccan holiday.
Summer is nice for its abundance, but autumn is the time in which I feel most myself. Specifically nearing the equinox, I start to feel a strong urge to craft using thing I've harvested or foraged.
When trimming my gardens, I make a simple wood wreath. It's an almost meditative thing to do, seeking that tension and delicately bending branches, and it sort of confirms the change of the season for me. Connecting nature, and the passage of time through my hands, symbolically making it tangible. I reflect on what this past season has brought me, in both a literal and a spiritual sense.
The autumn equinox is me celebrating a return to the crafty time of the year.
#pagan #witch #witchcraft #mabon
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2026-09-09 13:22:23 UTC

#PennedPossibilities 1123: What figure do people most commonly tell stories about? How are these stories told (books, plays, television, spoken word, broadcast, etc.)?
Ethereal is a story-heavy nation, mostly through oral narration and books. Since the global amnesia over a generation ago, people have been frantically trying to reestablish the narratives to know who they are. The context, the status, the parts of the stories and family histories that were lost, it can all still be felt. After the realignment, hero worship was big, obsessive, and downright dangerous. Which created an opportunity for nasty folks to take advantage of this longing for stories. Legends were made up, persona were invented, and for most of those, it became rather clear that it was all bullshit. But one of the newly invented heroes was general Seth. (Lazarus and Damien's father, but not Freya's) He was shoved into his position mostly because he looked the part. Tall, blond, handsome, strong man with a naturally commanding presence. It was mere coincidence that he was actually a nice guy. He commandeered Qinos' army of deadly weirdos, and fought for people indiscriminately. His heartbreakingly gruesome death shocked the entire nation, broke Ophelia's heart, and lead her to decide to create Freya. So, Freya's entire life, she's followed around by his legacy, while not actually being his child, unlike her brothers.
#writing

2026-09-09 12:40:47 UTC

#FediCoven Q9 Show something worthless but valuable to your practice.
This week, I had a conversation with a young witchling who felt he didn't have the money to start his practice. There is so much we can purchase for our practice, especially the witchy stuff, that it can be blinding. For me, I often feel monetary value can cheapen things. In my practice the most worthless pebble, can be the most valuable tool.
Take these items, none of them cost me more than a couple of euros, if anything. In an economic sense, it's all pretty much trash. The little bottles I use for spelljars, were literally next to the bins. I've found shell, seeds, twigs, pebbles, even sand that resonates with me. Things that line my path. Keeping my eyes open and asking my friends, family, and neighbours to do the same for me, has amassed me a fortune of precious, worthless things.
I adore witchy paraphernalia, I really do, but let's not let our spirituality be just one more thing about existence that gets sold back to us at a markup price.
#pagan #witch
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2026-09-03 16:49:23 UTC

#FediCoven Q8 What’s a mundane activity that becomes unexpectedly magical or spiritually significant when done attentively?
Nearly anything can be, but lately I’ve noticed the spiritual significance of redecorating my home more. I love stuff, lots of funny stuff, so my home is about as chaotic as my mind. Which creates a rather direct link between the arrangement of my things, and my thoughts, my self. So, with reordering, I create new connections and discover things about my mind and spirit. It’s an unexpected bit of shadow work.
#witch #pagan

2026-09-01 08:20:43 UTC

Post-storm clouds are made of queer joy. 🌈🏳️‍🌈
#clouds #nature #photography #lgbtq #lgbtqia
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2026-08-29 14:21:27 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers 29: Do you know what you wanted to be at 11?
Absolutely. 11yo me wanted to be a witch, a pirate queen, a lumberjack, a marine biologist, a glassblower, a fossil hunter, a cat, a hacker, a herbologist, the world's best strandjutter, a storm, an artist, and an opera singing ballerina who does martial arts.
And no, I would not then, nor will I now, be pressured into picking just one. I've currently got about five of these down, and I am working on the rest.
---
Isn't it an odd question to pose a child? What box will you be occupying this lifetime?
And why do we seem so fond of someone picking a box and staying in there for a lifetime? Not that I'm not happy for that person if they're happy about it, but doing many different things is not in any way less admirable or possible, and the popularity of this idea of lifetime commitment can leave many lovely well-rounded people feeling like they missed the boat.

2026-08-29 13:48:11 UTC

#FediCoven Q7: What have seasonal changes taught you that books or teachers could not?
The more I let myself feel the changes of the seasons, feel nature change and adapt and be part of that, the more I am confronted with the fact that a portion of me is my context, the surrounding plants, the winds, the animals, the soil, and clouds. This is especially clear when considering my diet, eating locally grown stuff sustains my body in a far more harmonious way. My blood sugar doesn't spike all over, and so my energy levels and emotional state are much more stable. Food that is in season, remains in season in my body as I eat it. So, I've learned that being out of sync with the seasons actually causes stress on my body, not just on a spiritual level. So, I'm happy to be making the first pumpkin soup of the season today!
#witch #kitchenwitch #cooking #pagan

2026-08-29 13:13:19 UTC

#PennedPossibilities 1112: SC POV: Can you tell us about the last time you laughed? What about when you cried?
Dionysus hops up, folds his arms, unfolds them, and scratches and itch he doesn't have. "Well, laughing is easy," he shrugs before picking up a stick and starting to swoop it around to avoid looking at anyone. "We make a lot of jokes, and my family is pretty funny. Pel and I play a lot of pranks. But I don't really cry. I just, kinda, punch thing and stuff. So, hmm, the last time I did, hmm, well, hmm.... " he slows and studies the ground. "I think it was when Valentine let some folks adopt me on my own. Or, you know, considered it. This was like way before Mum found us. I didn't want to be adopted without him, but he told me to go with them. So I did, for one night. It felt like someone ripped a lung out. It was always me and him against the world, and now it seemed even he didn't want me any more. My own twin. I get that he considered this to be kind. It was so at least I would have parents. He's such an obvious witch, even when we were that tiny, no one in Hillystone would adopt us. So, he let them take me. They weren't horrible. Though, I don't think I could ever have stayed with folks who view being a witch as a flaw. They got angry at me for not being happy about being adopted and locked me in a bedroom. I cried that night, I properly sobbed until it like really hurt. It was nearly dawn when Valentine came to break me out. He thoroughly changed his mind. I think it hurt him even more than it hurt me. We sort of cried together while we walked hand in hand, back to the orphanage as the sun came up.
I think that was the last time I really, really, properly cried. You know, with the snot and everything.
Whenever I remember it now, just I go annoy Val. Just, you know, he's fun to annoy."
#writing

2026-08-25 10:11:02 UTC

#FediCoven 2026 Q5: What helps you feel welcome in a pagan or witchy space? And what doesn't.
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For me, what genuinely welcomes me is the interest and curiosity of others. Someone's interest in me, sparks my interest in them. And loads of things like kindness, and diversity, etc... and tea.
Any sort of hierarchy or authority unsettles me. I can tolerate seeing someone lead, but this has to be leading, not commanding. Any sort of gatekeeping, and I'm out.
#witch #pagan #witchcraft

2026-08-23 21:23:39 UTC

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@nprofile…4df6
Thank the stars, that is amazing! Wishing you both health and joy.

2026-08-23 21:11:44 UTC

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@nprofile…4df6
That is fascinating. Within my practice, that everyday type of magic is more focussed on symbolic things. Say, I'd want to get rid of some anxiety, I'd need to create something that reminds me of that. Not in a literal sense, and this can be abstract and personal, but that way it can represent that for me. Which can be a knotted up piece of fabric, crumpled piece of paper, or even an ice cube. Then burning or melting will help me align my intentions with that, and release what it represents. The act can look the same, but I feel, from what I'm understanding from this, is that this follows a different logic.
As if I need to imbue a thing with a part, and this is something naturally taking a part of a thing by proximity... I know, being nice a vague here, but does that make some sense?

2026-08-23 18:22:04 UTC

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@nprofile…0nkk
That is a lovely description of identifying as a priestess. Actually helping and doing things for others. Not an authority.
For me, I've learned that I always want help others, but my capacity is limited, so I have to be very careful about it. Doing magic with or for others is super taxing, and I struggle with my own balance, so I need to be strict in my boundaries. So, I no longer freely help everyone. I just can't.

2026-08-23 18:13:01 UTC

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@nprofile…4df6
That is neat, here at the more Germanic side of things around that time, a lot was oral traditions, and not much was written down at all. Which partially why much of it, was and is, so often and easily dismissed.

2026-08-23 17:45:29 UTC

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@nprofile…x4v7
Precisely. Having some ars to kick, means having a self to care for.

2026-08-23 17:43:59 UTC

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@nprofile…2udq
A private ritual is still very much a ritual. Mine aren't that fixed either. I think they need to be able to evolve and grow with me.

2026-08-23 17:40:50 UTC

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@nprofile…x4v7
It seemed to me that their meditation was very introspective compared to my own. When I meditate, I examine myself as part of a context. Emotions, sensation, smells, sounds, location, etc. A part of nature, instead of separate… if that makes sense.
Also, I'm with you. I'm very chatty to what is around me. I don't know if that is a belief that everything has a spirit, or that I'm addicted to anthropomorphism. (Probably both) But either way, I think since we're social creatures, that is how we best have a conscious relationship with things. Even if it's a rock, or a forest, or my houseplants.

2026-08-23 17:07:50 UTC

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@nprofile…x4v7
I feel a need to subtly tip my hat to you as a fellow green tinted witch.
The one thing that puzzled me the last time I was with some druids, is that they have such a strong, and rather strict sense of sacred spaces or areas. In this case, it was a couple of very old oak trees, and they are a lovely bunch, but I can get that same sense of awe and importance from many aspects of nature. Big and small, significant, or not, young or old. Do you see specific areas as sacred? Or is it more general in all of nature?

2026-08-23 16:59:16 UTC

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@nprofile…2udq
That maintains a lot of freedom. Not that I tie myself down in certain classifications or anything, but there is certainly something to be said for keeping things open.
Do you create your own rituals?

2026-08-23 16:55:49 UTC

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@nprofile…x4v7
You know, my casual usage of this might be a language thing... It has a different history and context in Dutch, and coming out of/for something is perhaps a little more common. Sorry that it made you twitchy.
Though I agree, the dangers and significance of that step can be very real and daunting. It's not the same problem, obviously, but it is an issue I like to acknowledge. Perhaps I simply lack a better term or expression for it...

2026-08-23 16:42:23 UTC

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@nprofile…x4v7
Thanks for sharing!
"self-care is a radical declaration of worth"
I adore that. It suddenly makes self-care rebellious. I think I'm going to write it on my walls somewhere. On some level, in the back of my mind, self-care can still seem like necessary maintenance to be a good little functioning working drone for everything except myself. I'm trying to see it as something to do as a fight for myself, and to remain in fighting condition to fight corporate greed and defend nature and kindness. Trying my best to shake the idea that self-care beyond crucial maintenance is selfish.
#FediCoven #selfcare

2026-08-23 16:21:29 UTC

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@nprofile…h7n3
Do you feel like that's something you would want to determine for yourself?

2026-08-23 16:09:00 UTC

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@nprofile…4df6
From what I understand, a draoi is a type of druid, but I'm unclear on what makes these traditions distinct. What would you say is typical for Irish folk magic?

2026-08-23 15:59:11 UTC

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@nprofile…ey74
It is a tad context dependant, hmm. Well, not how you identify to yourself, but what you call yourself. Non-reconstructionist is a good specification. I like history and tradition, but I feel magic should evolve with people and not get tied down and static.

2026-08-23 15:51:25 UTC

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@nprofile…4gas
Fascinating combination. Does the concept of reincarnation tie into your animism?

2026-08-23 15:43:52 UTC

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@nprofile…rly9
I do resonate with the idea of being a hedge witch. It's more solitary and independent. Honestly, the #FediCoven is enough coven for me. Not that I dislike joining in on the occasional ritual or celebration. That's nice, but I like doing my own thing, my own craft.

2026-08-23 15:32:27 UTC

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@nprofile…dz8h
Ha, that's excellent! It's when one can write such lines in a memoir, that's when you know you're doing something right in life.

2026-08-22 17:52:09 UTC

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@nprofile…y2h4
Some days, it seems no one has the time to stop and marvel at existence.
But that is a wonderful focus.

2026-08-22 17:49:38 UTC

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@nprofile…hhyj
I feel you. I'm too weird to be alt, not queer enough, and have lesser know flavour of neurospice. Somehow, in every world of the odd and offbeat, I still feel like I'm navigating it without a manual.

2026-08-22 17:45:51 UTC

#FediCoven 2026 Q4: How do you identify? (Witch, druid, pagan, shaman, medium, 'all of the above'?)
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Not that this is any obligation to classify yourself. Be as specific or vague as feels true to you today.
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I identity as an eclectic neo-pagan witch wielding some green tinted chaos magic.
That sort of grew and evolved overtime. But I've never called myself wiccan. Despite the focus on nature, it's too god/goddess focussed for me. That doesn't seem to be my cup of tea.
My practice is built from more local more Germanic heathenry and contains more spirits than deities, but I've also absorbed a lot. So, I also resonate with some animism, a bit of Greek pantheon (specifically Hekate), some Druidic concepts.
What makes me identify as a witch, is that is feels like an apt description of my path and practice. I'm always doing something symbolic, or ritualistic. But also, I think about authority and consent, and don't like hierarchies.
Another part is me owning and being proud of being different. And, sort of standing in solidarity with those who have, are, or will be, facing issues in that regard.
#witch #witchcraft #pagan

2026-08-22 17:02:50 UTC

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@nprofile…y2h4
Oh, lovely. Based on any particular traditions? Healer or medium?
PS: check out #FediCoven
We have druids, pagans, witches, mediums, and more. Not many who identify as shaman, just yet, as far as I'm aware.

2026-08-22 16:39:24 UTC

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@nprofile…7szl
Okay, yes, absolutely, there should be a rule against torturing plants. It's also why bonsai makes me uncomfortable. I know that's anthropomorphism run wild on my end, but still...

2026-08-22 16:36:45 UTC

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@nprofile…mpgz
Same, I can turn anything into jam. Haha. We had a load of apples this season, so I made a whole bunch of very cinnamon heavy apple sauce too. Nice scoop of that with some yogurt, and I have breakfast sorted.

2026-08-22 16:33:23 UTC

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@nprofile…gqfv
Hahaha! Excellent. Is sharing seeds torrenting for plants?

2026-08-22 16:31:15 UTC

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@nprofile…mpgz
Oh, I love gooseberries! The raspberries always grow like mad here, so we have to do some proper cutting at the end of the month.

2026-08-22 16:26:30 UTC

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@nprofile…gqfv
Oh, I love doing that! Planting scraps is such fun magic.

2026-08-22 16:25:02 UTC

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@nprofile…y2h4
Well, I am, actually. And eclectic neo-pagan witch wielding some green chaos magic, to be precise.

2026-08-22 13:46:35 UTC

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@nprofile…r6nw @nprofile…wfmk
Yeah, It was an on a Friday night, I don't have the heart to tell him they likely got chucked onto some building or something. Some drunk kids having a tomato fight, maybe.

2026-08-22 13:44:56 UTC

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@nprofile…qe94
Sad to hear such a lovely tradition is dying out. Perhaps it will make a comeback as an act of rebellion.

2026-08-22 11:51:54 UTC

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@nprofile…w39n
Yeah, we're getting a nice flock of tubby crows and jaybirds.

2026-08-22 11:30:19 UTC

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@nprofile…dz8h That's part of the fun. right! We do a bit of a swap of homemade jams, sauces, and soups.

2026-08-22 10:11:51 UTC

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@nprofile…vng3
Yes, that's why I said Tolkien hammered it in. It's certainly not like his ideas came out of nowhere.
I wonder if steampunk isn't much older than the digital revolution. Like Jules Verne, around 1870ish? It's romanticizing the Victorian era, in a way.

2026-08-22 10:01:28 UTC

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@nprofile…h2mt
He's standing in resaturating rain.

2026-08-22 07:30:38 UTC

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@nprofile…0g8x
Ah, yes even some adults are amazed by it. One man though it was purely ornamental and was really surprised that I turn mine into pies.

2026-08-22 07:28:39 UTC

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@nprofile…8gaz
Close, Dutch.

2026-08-22 07:14:59 UTC

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@nprofile…nfmr
Hmm, we do seem perpetually in a hurry. One of my neighbours doesn't comprehend why I don't just go buy a box of berries at the supermarket. True, growing your own food isn't always cost-efficient compared like that. But I don't just value the end product. It's healthy, it's therapeutic, it helps the local wildlife, it's exercise. And in the end, you'll have a nice pot of jam to give to someone and brighten up their day. None of which directly translates into money, or more time to watch Netflix. But, surely, we all know that there's more to life than that...

2026-08-22 06:50:33 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers 22, Fantasy stories are frequently inspired by medieval societies. Why do you think people are fascinated by that time period?
Initially, it was just fairytales, Arthurian romance, and Beowulf. That's where the imagery came from, I think. After that, during like the 19th century the industrialization of the world kicked off a countering lust for romanticism. Which Tolkien subsequently sort of hammered in. And then D&D happened and video games.
I think it persists because you're immediately faced with problems like food, shelter, travel, etc. And it has unexplored wilderness. A certain freedom.
Occasionally, I wonder if it blinds us to the charm, romance, and freedom around us. Our world, our life now, can be magical. And if we forget this, and assume that we're simply not living in those times, we forget to fight for it here and now.
#writing

2026-08-22 06:24:16 UTC

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@nprofile…mswz
That's silly. Knowing your ingredients is a core part of being a proper chef. Blind trust regarding bought produce is equally dangerous.

2026-08-22 06:09:13 UTC

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@nprofile…rcnk
Well, yes, but it's not a law in a legal sense. The law of the universe is indeed that you need the means to do fun things. Even if it only requires time.

2026-08-22 06:06:30 UTC

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@nprofile…42hx
Ah, I get it. Growing food is work. Well, except for the brambles. They're escaping the garden and invading my shed. But if you're going to go rocky, you could consider a nice pond? Would make some wildlife happy.

2026-08-22 06:03:54 UTC

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@nprofile…fvzs
Oh, we're encouraged to leave some grass for the critters. Even in the parks, large patches are sown with wildflower seeds and left to grow all season. Or, well, they had to cut it early because of the drought. It was getting a tad flammable.

2026-08-22 06:01:58 UTC

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@nprofile…nfmr
Yeah, it used to be such a normal thing, but I think some gave up their battle against the elements. Perhaps it's yet another victim of climate change.

2026-08-22 06:00:23 UTC

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@nprofile…h3es
Well, there are some restrictions. Like super poisonous plants maybe? I'm only allowed three cannabis plants here in the Netherlands.

2026-08-22 05:56:03 UTC

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@nprofile…6qxp
We'll seed-bomb the neighbourhood together next spring.

2026-08-22 05:49:04 UTC

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@nprofile…r6nw @nprofile…wfmk
Ah, my back garden is nicely hidden, but that does happen. Someone even stole my neighbour's tomatoes. Which truly saddened him, but he didn't want to report it. He feared he'd be reporting a hungry person.

2026-08-22 05:46:15 UTC

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@nprofile…qskj @nprofile…tw30
Absolutely! It's all about balance and symbiosis.

2026-08-22 05:44:36 UTC

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@nprofile…tw30
I'm very willing to battle the elements for my gardens. And I try to keep the gardens in balance, instead of just targeting plants that are traditionally considered weeds. Though I get not having the time or energy for it. The kid's parents are busy people. Which is why he's walking around chatting to gardening grownups.

2026-08-22 05:38:57 UTC

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@nprofile…njjr
Certainly seems that way. One angry looking pansy. That's the lot. That's all you're allowed.

2026-08-22 05:34:26 UTC

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@nprofile…wfmk
Truth is, I'm simply doing the bidding of the Eurasian Jaybirds.

2026-08-22 05:31:59 UTC

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@nprofile…vzzc @nprofile…h8sn
I may have already supplied him with a couple of strawberry plants... His parents are good folks, I think they'll indulge his new interest.

2026-08-21 20:29:29 UTC

7yo neighbour kid: "You can just grow grapes in your garden? That's allowed?"
Me: "Allowed? It's my garden. There is no law against it."
Kid blinking heavily: "But then why doesn't everyone do that? If you can just grow what you want, why doesn't everyone have like berries and stuff in their garden?"
🤷‍♀️
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He honestly assumed there must be a law preventing folks from planting fun stuff in their garden.
#gardening

2026-08-21 17:47:48 UTC

#WritersCoffeeClub 21, What’s a mistake you see a lot of writers make when writing about people with your lived experience?
One singular epiphany does not cure chronic depression.
Overall, it seems like so many characters are portrayed as identifying as their emotions instead of being able to acknowledge them, and so work on their mental health. That work can be so profoundly beautiful, and yet, it always seems like the author slaps on a quick fix, a love, an epiphany, a victory, etc, and voilà, cured. That's not how it works. There is no instant fix for mental health issues. Especially not chronic issues, which, honestly, on some level, they all are. It's something you'll always carry with you, and it's a balance you'll always need to diligently maintain.
#writing

2026-08-21 17:04:42 UTC

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@nprofile…fqs3
I can't stand poverty written by the wealthy. Especially in movies or series, it can be so ridiculous. You can have characters loudly complaining about poverty while consuming the most absurdly elaborate breakfast. Or worse, ignoring that breakfast, or any food, and just walking away.
Last series I had to turn off was because the characters complained about their tragic poverty while playing on the kitchen iPad. Yes, an iPad dedicated to the kitchen, with no cover on it, before they drove off in their brand new Mini Cooper.

2026-08-21 16:52:26 UTC

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@nprofile…ey74
Well, me. I would ask. Actually, I have.
I like your choice of recognizable, wearable symbols. Those familiar will see it, and others won't.

2026-08-21 16:48:16 UTC

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@nprofile…h7n3
It's interesting that those who'd potentially ridicule you for your witchcraft will still turn around and ask you to help them with their problems. I've been there so many times. Especially in like my early 20s.

2026-08-21 15:51:32 UTC

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@nprofile…hhyj @nprofile…s8h3
When I was a little witchling, I just did stuff. When I started to understand what I was doing, I felt a need to validate it and looked at all sorts of traditions. But that often made me feel as if I wasn't doing it right. It took some time for me to rediscover the magic I do every day and get back to the truly intuitive magic. Such as making magic tasty things.

2026-08-21 15:29:58 UTC

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@nprofile…hhyj @nprofile…s8h3
Seems the universe is resonating some chaos today. Funny how such things can surf on vibes.
And I do have respect for traditions and rituals. They can offer insight and understanding, but ultimately, you have to embrace your own sense of magic at the moment. No singular static truth. It's you and the universe in perpetual flux.

2026-08-21 14:10:29 UTC

#WordWeavers 21, What's a trope you enjoy writing, even if it's unpopular?
Inconsistent magic. I don't like elaborate systems and strict rules. I know, I know, that can overpower characters, and undermine any conflict you set up, I get where the aversion comes from, but take it from an actual witch, magic is eclectic creative chaos. There isn't one way, one method, one approach to do things, nor is there one single view on how or why. Stop slapping on rules and systems to avoid bad story writing and embrace the peculiarities of your universe!
Oh, and you don't need to be 'chosen' in any way to give it a go. It's also not a secret, hidden society thing, we're right here, Hi! Want some tea?
#writing #witch

2026-08-21 13:25:54 UTC

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@nprofile…n93w
As long as the relationship has an aspect of teaming up to do the work, it's usually okay. Which is certainly true for Jack and Jaslan. They make a good team.
Love is wonderful, it's just not the cure-all so many use it as. When my characters finally get together, Oneiroi is still fighting his depression, Freya still has anxiety, and Scio self-worth is still bad, but at that point, these are issues they manage together, but it doesn't disappear. It never truly does.

2026-08-21 13:13:18 UTC

#FediCoven 2026 Q3 - Are you out of the broom closet?
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Which is a funny way of asking how open you are about your path and practise. Is that how open you'd like to be?
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For me, I wear my quirky self with pride. This includes my witchy style and accessories, so it's visible. But, I'm lucky enough to be somewhere that this is largely okay. Well, I moved here for that reason, really. I was born in a town and region where eccentricities were vilified. Which made the fact that there was never a broom closet strong enough to hold me, hmm, challenging. My views on life and existence were always very different, and I've always done spells and rituals. Even if I try really hard, I can't fake it enough to not be considered the witch of whatever context I'm in. The neighbourhood, the school, the dance academy, my family, university, even my gym. Sometimes that's fun. For example, I let the schoolkids pick strawberries in my front garden, so to them, I am the strawberry witch who teaches kids about edible plants. But it can also be exhausting. As some people assume I'm perpetually willing to help them fix their problems. Like the lady at the gym who demanded that I'd help her lose weight with a spell.... For free, of course, while I was sweating my ass off doing cardio...
But, since I have the luxury to be out and proud, I feel I should. Even if it creates just this tiny bit more social space and acceptance for any one else walking their path.
#witch #pagan

2026-08-21 12:35:01 UTC

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@nprofile…hhyj
I wish I could do some zapping, but my 30+ yo lady whiskers are bright blond for some reason, so that doesn't work. So, I'm waxing this weekend.
There is something about that slightly painful self-care ritual that does feel a little empowering. An air of "This is my skin, and I'll rock it the way I want to."

2026-08-21 12:28:08 UTC

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@nprofile…n93w
Ah, so true. Also, that is not fixed by falling in love. So often a female character has some SA in her history, and that trauma is magically fixed by slapping a man on there.... No... Just no....