Your Unpopular Witchcraft Opinions║Correspondences, Toxic Communities

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Today we're covering a few more of your Unpopular Witchcraft Opinions, these cover a range of topics: toxic communities, correspondences, the need for mundane effort and more.
If you have your own unpopular opinions, feel free to post them in the comments and they may end up in a future video.
Previous Unpopular Opinions: • Unpopular Witchcraft O...
Timestamps:
00:00: Intro
00:57: Opinion 1 - Toxic Spaces
02:22: Opinion 2 - Correspondences
06:21: Opinion 3 - Symbolism
09:42: Opinion 4 - Mundane World
13:18: Opinion 5 - Popularity
19:11: Opinion 6 - Vegan Requirement
21:47: Opinion 7 - Harvesting
22:25: My Unpopular Opinion
22:16: Bloopers
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[@yulebones]

My unfortunately unpopular opinion: It bothers me a lot how the openness toward casual practice, and acceptance of all sorts of practices, has led to outright disdain and hostility toward study. I feel as though it's incredibly important for ALL witches to study often and with enthusiasm. Read, listen, watch - just pursue learning and development in some way. Expand your knowledge, not just of what you do, but of what others do, because exposing yourself to different perspectives and experiences will help you figure out gaps or problems in your own craft. I have encountered so many witches - including high-level members and moderators in large communities - who actively scoff at the idea that people should study, because, and I am quoting here, "Vibes is what's important." NO. Vibes are not all that is important. Stop encouraging people to stunt their growth as witches.

[@Bellllllz]

I didn't realize this was a problem and now I'm greatly concerned

[@yulebones]

@@Bellllllz Yeah, sadly. The argument is that it's "gatekeeping" or somehow exclusionary to expect people to study, as though "craft" isn't half the word. With everything out there to learn from, I find that absurd. The rising acceptance of anti-intellectualism makes my skin crawl.

[@Timetravel1111]

What two books 📚 would you suggest?

[@yulebones]

@@Timetravel1111 Oh, gosh, that depends! We're living in an amazing time right now - there's so, so much more available to read than there was even ten years ago. :) If you give me a thing or two you're interested in, I'll see if I can suggest something! Two more general ones I really like are "New World Witchery" by folklorist and podcaster Cory Hutcheson, and "The Witch at the Forest's Edge" by Christine Grace.

[@sophiags4240]

I've noticed this trend increasing in recent years. An alarming number of witches I've encountered in online spaces in the last few years have never read a single book on the topic, and have told me they've gotten all their info from TikTok or Instagram alone. There's no set number of books to read to be a witch obviously, but for a witch to say they've been practicing for months or years and have gotten no information from any other source than social media is going to be concerning to me.

[@xavierrose8208]

Unpopular opinion: it’s okay to not cast a spell the whole year. Your mental health is more important than casting spells and rites.

[@MisstressMourtisha]

Yes yes yes. I've struggled with this since my PTSD got really bad. I had to realize that my thoughts, loving of flowers, petting my cats, self care, just being outside connecting with nature is enough. I'm enough. I don't have to stress myself to light a candle on a specific day and time, I should do things when I'm at my fullest and healthiest. Thank you for sharing this I needed that. ❤

[@xavierrose8208]

@@MisstressMourtisha that’s great! I hope you’re well and taking care of you. Taking care of you is also a way of worshipping the gods. :)

[@NeloBladeOfRanni]

As someone with BPD ADHD and depression and anxiety I relate to this so much. Most of my magick these days is more manifestation than straight up spells and rituals because quite frankly alot of the time I just don't have the energy to do a full blown spell or ritual with the exception of the depinon which I do to honour Hecate every dark moon

[@phoenixkali]

If you do something as simple as making a cup of tea, but employing mindfulness in your preparation, it is a ritual. I’m mindful of do I want a black coffee to wake up, or Yerba mate for concentration, or lemon ginger for a sore throat, so in anticipation of the result it is casting a spell, however benign.

[@Gabrielle499]

In my 50’s and been reading & studying witchcraft/folk magic lately. To be called a “baby witch” is weird for me.

[@maunroe]

I detest people who does this, is condescendent for me

[@snakebear4183]

Good lords, I hate "baby witch" so much.

[@Vanessa__Pauls]

I agree its such a condescending, infantilizing term. Why not beginner, novice or new? Those ones feel so much more positive.

[@breem2999]

Same here. I'm almost 40 and I'm new to witchcraft but would never call myself a "baby witch". I just say novice, or newbie lol

[@dontreadthisplease2416]

I mean I didn't mind it when I started looking into it....but that probably has a lot to do with the fact that I was 14. I WAS a "baby" still. I'm 21 now and eh.....it would just be inaccurate at this point but if I were in my 50s I would probably be offended.

[@ashiraecho2039]

Energy work is so important. As someone who doesn't have a lot of money and grew up poor I never had access to a bunch of herbs and tools but I did have a pen and paper and some salt. You can do a lot of magic on sheer will power and dedication.

[@vyvienn]

Absolutely! And don’t forget that when we claim a magical tradition for our own, be it Celtic, Norse, or Appalachian folk craft, our magical ancestors would have done the same thing and used what was available to them at any given time.

[@jturtle5318]

Yes! I so often see beginning practitioners worrying about not being able to buy all the gear right away, and I point out that our ancestors couldn't buy crystals and palo santo and statues for the altar. "Granny" did magic with the things she could forage and a rock she found while growing food for her family. My mother's sister read futures with a deck of playing cards, she didn't spend money on a tarot deck.

[@relaxingvideostofallasleep1303]

I'm a middle aged practitioner and still do it this way. Sometimes I might buy something that I really connect with, but most of the time it is just me and my willpower. I do a lot of kitchen work while I'm cooking. I would rather spend my "extra" money on things that I like to do like, buying my elderly neighbor dog and cat food because she cannot afford it all the time and will even go without food herself so her animals can eat. I also make sure she has food to eat, so no I have no "extra" money, but I think that is more worthwhile and when I'm at an age to be a crone like she is, I hope someone will be there for me if I can't take care of myself.

[@NeloBladeOfRanni]

Not specifically a unpopular witchcraft opinion but is anyone else sick and tired of people preaching about the law of attraction and being high vibration

[@witchNwand]

High vibes definitely, I'm hearing it everywhere. It is difficult to have high vibes if you work with the demon dimension, though 😂😅😄

[@nelle734]

There is so much overlap with New Age stuff which I personally kinda hate

[@NeloBladeOfRanni]

@@witchNwand don't work with the demons myself but I do work with Hecate and honestly she's helped me to realise how much bullshit the whole high vibration thing is.

[@NeloBladeOfRanni]

@@nelle734 same the new age stuff is super annoying tbh lmao

[@shelbym.6862]

I personally cannot stand it

[@ButterflyHummingbird]

As a 60-something crone new to the practice, these "unpopular opinion" rundowns make me happy I’m not all that active on social media, especially not those platforms frequented by the "baby witch" set. I may be new to the practice, but I am NOT a "baby witch"! I have been amazed to see how everything I’ve been interested in over the last 40 years is now all coming together into this marvelous, wonderful thing called witchcraft. I certainly wouldn’t want to dampen my fun with a bunch of insecure people who would rather do other people’s shadow work than their own! I’m just coming out of organized religion and all of its do’s and dont’s, I have no desire to have this magical new path sullied by the exact same archetype I thought I left behind. My unpopular opinion is that anyone who feels the need to dictate ANYTHING about how witchcraft MUST be practiced needs to self-censor themselves and go do their OWN shadow work! Blessed be!

[@tcconnection]

Well-said, no one can decide what another believes, tools, etc.

[@amandanelson3345]

I have very similar feelings.

[@shmataboro8634]

@ButterflyHummingbird , I so agree. It has taken a loooong time for me to work my way fre from all the judgment of " you're Not Real Christian if you ______" and "you're Not Real Christian if you don't________".... That attitude is the absolute Last thing we need in the pagan world. Certainly we need to learn from each other, but we do Not need to legislate each other. Be blessed in your work 💜

[@wizzy615]

unpopular opinion: There are too many people learning what I would call "the what". By this I mean, they get spells off pinterest and follow them like they're recipes, but they don't know why any ingredient in that spell is being used, what it could be replaced with, why that technique of spell is being used, etc. I wish more people learned more about why things correspond one way or another. In a nutshell, I wish more people would read The Golden Bough or just learn the principles of sympathetic magic. It would really help boost a lot of people's ability to make their own spells at the drop of a hat and find use for the things around them rather than what someone else listed. unpopular opinion: I wish that practitioners researched more holidays than just the sabbats. Celebrating those days isn't bad by any means, but if you work with gods/pantheons that aren't classically represented in the wiccan wheel of the year, it seems like a good idea to research the holidays that are specific to the deities that you work with

[@NeloBladeOfRanni]

Fully agree with your second opinion. While my practice is heavily influenced by Wicca as that was my original path when I started worshipping Hecate I switched from doing a ritual on the full moon to the dark moon instead. People really should do more research on the deities they work with.

[@ellamayo9045]

Unpopular(?) Opinion: The Law of Attraction, when taken to its logical conclusion, is just victim blaming. Manifesting through thoughts, words, and actions can be some of the first and most vital steps for making changes in your life. While their importance can hardly be understated, viewing manifestation as a natural law does nothing but trivialize the experiences of those who failed to “manifest hard enough”.

[@jzsketchcraft]

Unpopular opinion, you don't have to SPEAK out loud to perform magic, not everyone has the privilege of being able to speak, nonverbal and semi verbal people (such as myself) should NOT have to force ourselves to speak externally, your internal voice is just as powerful.

[@someonerandom256]

Speaking spells aloud is a little too theatrical feeling for me personally. I can think so much louder anyway!

[@jturtle5318]

Truth! I'm very verbal, but when the ancestors show up to the circle, we talk "internally", which is the only way to communicate because most of them don't speak "modern English". Also, some witches are "in the broom closet" and need to avoid attracting attention. By the way, they were fascinated with the large bay window and how the room was so warm without a fire. Not every interaction is profound and philosophical, lol! My main caveat with invoking the ancestors and "spirits of place" is that only those "who come in love and peace" are invited. I have some fierce ancestors.

[@MisstressMourtisha]

Facts❤

[@Diamondartandcrafts]

This is helpful. I always feel so odd speaking out loud when doing things. It makes it feel less for me for some reason and it doesn’t even have to do with who is around since I’m normally alone anyway when I’m studying and learning and doing things.

[@reillypaintsfrogs]

@@jturtle5318 any advice on how to connect with ancestors or books on the topic? Ive tried meditation, tarot feels the most right for me right now but I want that “inner circle”

[@Megan.eco-Instinct]

It's genuinely so odd to me that these debates even exist. The idea that witchcraft is some list of rules you follow -- a script you recite is ludicrous. Perhaps how I see this has a lot to do with my age (I'm 60) and the fact that I have been _solitary_ for so long. But I think even in comradery, community, or coven --- magick, spell work, ritual, and energy work are consummately individual and *cannot exist* in a set immovable rules. It is an absolutely individual craft. If you have 5 Witches doing the exact spell, I assure you that the precise results will be different for each. No other person on the planet can replicate my energy and method of harnessing it, my experience, or my exact intention in the moment, and *THAT* is the main ingredient in any spell - *THAT* is where magick is.

[@glitterkitty1979]

❤❤ love this!

[@alexanderrubio7630]

Yup. Right here. I have often attempted to show other witches my spells/techniques to manifest. Stuff that is sure to work for me and has worked in the past brings mixed results or none at all to others.

[@BreeAnnaPike]

This!! I get so caught up in rules or ingredients because as much as intuition is important. I also feel the correct ingredients are too. If i skip one i feel like im not completing the spell. If i sub an ingredient i dong have for one i do, i feel like im just playing witch with mud pies. Which isnt exactly how i want to feel about my craft. I feel i second guess myself, which causes uncertianty which also tarnishes a spell...... is this a need for more shadow work?? Im afraid to do spells and feel nothing has been accomplished, i love the craft so much, but i also feel a pull that i will not be the witch i hope to be. I cant tell why. When i join groups to learn more or share ideas, im quite often "bullied" into deleting the post and casting the whole experience away, ditch the spell and discouraged. I think its my confidence. How do y'all know youre getting actual spells? Actual sigils? How do i know if the ones i made myself work?? How do you cast with the utmost confidence and belief that your spell will come to be?

[@afeeser]

When I first started, most of the Witches I knew tried to make as much of their own stuff as possible, even to the point of making some items from paper or wax. We still bought items and made our own marks on them. And I don't see anything wrong with buying items that we particularly are fond of. But I don't think we should lose sight of the power we create when we work on our own tools. (my unpopular opinion?)

[@BlazRa]

I wouldn't call myself a witch I prefer sorcerer but yeah I agree I got a lot of stuff that I make I plan to build a forge and I'm going to make a trident that's also going to be a magical staff and probably a Thor's hammer But I bought this really nice book that has leather little clasp and decent paper and I've already written my first potion in it!

[@robinfox4440]

Honestly the commercial "Witchy vibes" stuff offends me. I see it being sold at a local store called "Cosmic". It's all aesthetic and no substance, designed to appeal to women and teen girls.

[@SimpleMandy]

Honestly, as an older witch, after spending part of 2022 in the community I left because of toxicity. Especially the "you're not a witch if" or the "do it this way not your way."

[@barbarafrings9231]

I'm new to witchcraft, so I hardly have any experience with these communities, but I have seen these sort of attitudes and toxicity in some of the vegan and autism online communties these last few years. I would guess this is happening in other areas, too. Unfortunately people are getting crazier and meaner by the minute.

[@amandanelson3345]

So sad that you were made to feel excluded instead of included.😔

[@HautePinkFluff]

That seems to be a problem that is brought up way too many times. One of the reasons why I chose to be a solitary witch.

[@witchNwand]

@HautePinkFluff I started off as a solitary witch, but the problem with it is that we lack tuition as a solitary. Sometimes, it's better to have someone around to ask and receive guidance from, and some spellwork requires more energy than a solitary person can give. Books and videos are all very good, too, but it's not always enough. Also, i think most of us have no choice but to be solitary witches, Covens are difficult to come by in most places, as people need to be wary who they invite into their homes. Sadly, it's understandable why some new witches pack it in after the first year or so.

[@clavesseptem7223]

Disability in witchcraft gets...weird. Which is why I'm solitary. I've had a few experiences that led me to remain solitary. Things like "You have to be able to see to do workings", etc. My unpopular opinion: I'm more than okay with "black" magick. I call myself a "grey" or "left hand witch" because as much as I do stuff that's considered positive, I won't hesitate to throw a hex or hotfoot if I genuinely feel threatened. As an aside, I MUST ask where you got that zodiac blanket. I LOVE it.

[@Alba-pc6bz]

The blanket : killstar, i believe ;)

[@michellehardman50]

I totally agree and relate with you 100% esp when it comes to Hex work! The amount of so called personal option “light workers” say oow you must never do hex on someone! Because it might come back to you 3 fold! .. My response not if you do correctly and properly it won't! Sometime they are stumped to respond back! I believe where there is positive you’ll also have a negative. Like day has night. I will do hex if someone tries to cause me or my son, hurt harm or pain! I've done at least 6 hexs in my time! And it's worked every time and no repercussions! X

[@jturtle5318]

I agree. My disabilities limit my use of some popular practices, but I work around them, just like I've had to figure out ways to work around the disabilities. Also I identify as grey, because I have used defensive majick, including asking asking the ancestors to help make a recalcitrant tenant "uncomfortable" as recommended by the lawyer helping with the eviction. And to help protect her poor children from her, which I guess is more "white". We're completely responsible for every word, gesture, flame, grain of salt or waft of smoke that we send out, and even a love spell can cause harm.

[@NeloBladeOfRanni]

Same here I have no issue throwing a hex when I need to

[@leoniesableblanc]

@@Alba-pc6bz I think it is the same as one I have and that is definitely Killstar

[@idunablack2592]

Unpopular opinion: love and light is toxic. We live in a dualistic world. Light doesn't go without dark. But I'm sure it's a common unpopular opinion lol

[@NeloBladeOfRanni]

So true so many people fear the dark

[@glitterkitty1979]

👏👏👏👏

[@katswan2569]

While I agree that love and light is toxic, dualistic thinking is also toxic. Good versus bad, light or dark, those are our cultural judgements--and the spirit world does not give a flying fork about them.

[@HunterLvyiXIII]

​​@@katswan2569I think you may mean binaried thinking is toxic. Dualistic just acknowledges and accepts the many opposites in the world and the degrees between them. Binaries are rigid, it's either this or that, with nothing in between. I agree though the other side's values are quite different Edit: because apparently I can't type when I feel sick

[@satori2890]

Yeah Hearth talks all the time about Duality, and it's important that Effects are as important as Intention.

[@veracyning5572]

As a witch of 30 years, I agree about the correspondences. I think green being associated with prosperity is a US centric thing, because their money is green. Im Canadian, and ours is rainbow colored. Also lots of cultures use white for death, yellow for luck, etc... its about what has meaning for you. I also like sharks and spiders and snakes, but have bad experiences with horses and dogs. Goats and rats are my favorite animals.

[@lorrainetrotter4737]

I thought that at first. But, it is really about green being about growth, as in many plants. But what she said about red being about abundance in some cultures I also knew.

[@cma.ksiezycowa]

In Poland we also have money in different colors, but i think the color commonly associated with money is gold bc our coins are gold, and historically a lot of valuable things (first thing that comes to my mind is kings' fortunes) were also made out of gold I associate green with calmness and nature

[@michelle.uncensored]

I'm from Australia, when I think of green and gold, I think of national pride because those are the official colours of this country.

[@miizmurrderr]

THIS. Money is only green is the US. Why would someone from Poland use green? Or from Mexico? Or China? Makes zero sense 😂😂 and the arguing over it on the Internet is just ridiculous. People need to calm down and get their heads out of their bums.

[@seastar4194]

I was taught that witchcraft is a way of life and that magik is just a part of witchcraft. To be a witch means to pursue wisdom and apply it in every part of my life. I have had other witches insist that witchcraft is only about magik, spellwork. It really frustrates me when people say that.

[@shmataboro8634]

@seastar, in Christianity those kind are called "Christmas and Easter Christians". There for the celebrations, but not practicing in daily life. Spirit works better on a daily basis, as you obviously know.❤

[@MisstressMourtisha]

Best comment

[@MysticDivinerLJ]

That’s beautifully said! ❤️ I’m adding this into my BOS! Thanks Seastar4194 ❤️!

[@lorrainetrotter4737]

And I was taught that witchcraft is the practice of magic. Anything additional is additional. Magic is the manipulation of energy. So while it CAN be a way of life, no, it does not have to be My life path and my spiritual path are important to me. I also do magic. They are not dependent on each other. They both live inside me and sometimes play together. You can be frustrated all you want. But your witchcraft does not define another's. This is exactly what was said in the video. Not every witch is the same and witchcraft has 1000s of faces.

[@rehistory9457]

​@@lorrainetrotter4737ooh. In my perspective anyone can do magick and witchcraft, but to be a "witch" is a label someone gives to themselves

[@algirl80]

Another issue is the idolization of influential content creators… not necessarily a problem limited to witchcraft but I think it’s part of the social media issue you discussed. We’re learning from people with high follower and view counts because platforms use algorithms to customize ads, not because we actually resonate with the creator/information

[@Gabrielle499]

true ~ I follow some just for their aesthetic 😆

[@algirl80]

@@Gabrielle499 same tho 😂

[@jturtle5318]

​@@Gabrielle499that's legit, as long as that aesthetic means something to you.

[@nicolemarie9832]

The magical community *is* diverse and that's one of the things I like about it! I left a local witch group some years ago because a few people were really hostile towards members incorporating christian beliefs into their practice. As someone who went to religious schools for many years I understand and acknowledge that lots of people have experienced religious trauma, but that doesn't make it ok to joke about actually unaliving people from that religion. 🤷‍♀

[@shmataboro8634]

@nicolemarie9832....I learned a helpful thing from a magical friend who had been raised Catholic and had suffered harm from the religion. After years of being away from churches entirely and healing a good deal he sometimes went to Mass. He had learned to let go of the hurt, and had learned to use the group energy for beneficial means. Once you have a basic understanding if how the world functions I find you don't have to actually believe the doctrines of a particular church to access the energy available there. This is especially useful to know for those witches living in the bible belt and in the broom closet.🤫

[@MisstressMourtisha]

Exactly. Like I'm not xhristian never will be but I really like xhristian witches. They're kind and the nicest xhristians I've ever met. It's nice to see people like that exist. I spelled it that way so the algorithm won't bombard me with religious stuff.

[@BearmoonRuneandTarot]

I keep it simple. I have few items around and my practice is budget friendly, for example if I want to put meaning into a candle I don't bother with a specific color. That way I can just get the white candles. I carve a rune in them with my thumbnail and I use reiki and chanting to infuse it. I made all that shit up on my own and it works for me. :)

[@helmoonkitty8583]

I like the way you think 😉

[@jayg.2419]

I like the way you think, as well. I’ve been making mine up for decades and never worried about the “rules”.

[@tcconnection]

Everything is made up in this world for beliefs, creating and doing what works for well-being on an individual basis is smart.

[@someonerandom256]

I use white tea lights for most of my spells, although I do use beeswax chime candles of different colors occasionally as well.

[@jturtle5318]

If it's working for you, you discovered a different path to engage that energy that we're all working with. In my opinion.

[@YourRoyalMajesty.]

The fact that anyone judges anyone for anything that they are doing (that does not harm someone else), in their OWN personal craft, makes the judgy ones the people with the problem. They are the ones lacking. It isn’t anyone’s business how you practice. Ever. Even in covens. Witchcraft is the ground. What is on top of that ground is up to you. Everyone’s “garden” is different. 💖🕯

[@tcconnection]

Yes, we get to do what we want, we are not owned

[@ArisEmriis]

Beautifully said!

[@jacksparrowismydaddy]

unpopular opinion: you are not allowed to cast spells for personal gain. I mentioned casting a money spell for myself. I was jumped on by 3 people, one being another witch. I might also mention this was during the height of the popularity of that show with the 3 witches. it was a bullshit rule made up to explain why they have relatable money issues even with instantaneous hollywood spell casting.

[@NeloBladeOfRanni]

As someone who is a fan of the charmed TV show I hate how people assume the 'rules' in that show are rules in the actual Wicca religion and witch craft

[@jacksparrowismydaddy]

@@NeloBladeOfRanni charmed! thank you I couldn't remember the name for the life of me. yeah it was kinda annoying. its just a fun show people, its not discovery channel for witches. besides spells I think work best when you put your own energy into them. who's gonna care more about your problems than you? of course you can cast for yourself.

[@tcconnection]

hogwash, you get to do what you want, wishing for money doesn't make it evil or "dark"

[@shmataboro8634]

​@@tcconnectionWhich is more efficient? To cast a spell of money, or to cast a spell for bread, and a spell for cheese, and a spell for dog food, and a spell for gasoline, and a spell for a shirt, and a spell for running water and a spell for postage stamps, and a spell for trash pick-up, and a spell for more candles to replace the ones you used up casting all those other spells? 😂

[@cursecuelebre5485]

My unpopular opinion is that: A lot of witches do take advantage of beginner witches (money wise). Once I saw on Etsy that you can be initiated into being a Norse witch (Volva) for hundreds of dollars. Also having a huge “beginner kit” filled with bunch of herbs, candles, crystals etc for $60. I think this is very dangerous because no one should be spending that much of money especially in their beginner stage. It will overwhelm and bring them in much financial risk the fact people pray on their insecurities on being validated within their communities and practice is a huge red flag. I think it’s needs to be talked more about how we pushed beginners to have all these things that we need all these books or tools, when these people bought these items overtime in their practice not all at once.

[@Selynn.]

20:00 The problem is that in recent years everything has become tied to morals. I've seen people saying that witchcraft IS being an activist... that if you don't want to be involved in social issues you're not a witch. This is stupid on so many levels, but unfortunately it's becoming a common opinion. I was so fed up I stopped following a couple of youtubers recently because they basically replaced their usual content, witchcraft/tarot related, and started moralizing and ranting about social issues and how it's fundamental for witches to be involved and you can tell it's just an ego trip for them. If social issues are important for you and you make them a part of your craft, go ahead, but saying that witchcraft IS activism is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard.

[@melere777]

I feel exactly the same way. I have seen this debate come up a few times and I think it's no one's business to tell another practitioner that their practice means they MUST have a certain set of moral beliefs. Many people came to the Craft or paganism because they had bad experiences with structures that forced beliefs on them, such a behaviour should stay far, far away from these communities. I am allowed to believe whatever I want, it is no one else's place to tell me what my practice should look like or how I should think.

[@CristheGirl]

I guess my unpopular opinion is that honestly, if some people just want to put together a cute little spell jar because they saw it on tik tok, why not. I dont feel that is a bad thing in general as long as they are being respectful & mindful of their ingredients. & honestly, even if they aren't, as above so below so that's on them. Not everyone is going to want to dive head first and put their everything into witchcraft. Not everyone needs to thrust their hands into the dirt and run naked in the woods. Let people do what they want, let people get into witchcraft & spirituality how they want & for their own reasons. Anything else is just gatekeeping. Thanks Hearth! For the record, you're the best witchcraft based KZbin channel I've encountered hands down!

[@kiram.3619]

yes :) We all got drawn in because some aspect or definition/presentation of witchcraft appealed to us. And then we got drawn in and expanded our knowledge

[@etiennesportfolio]

Best example for symbols being different are swastikas, super bad in some places, good in others

[@Bellllllz]

Omg yes. Such a shame that it was used so horribly

[@tylergannon7398]

Yes but to be fair, the Swastika the Nazi’s use is inverted from the ones found in Hindu and Buddhist religions (Hitler having a lot of interest in the occult, I don’t think it was an accident that it was inverted)

[@jturtle5318]

It was used horribly, although in Mayan tradition it is still the sun path. I don't use it due to the historic misuse and to avoid cultural appropriation.

[@MisstressMourtisha]

​@@jturtle5318screw cultural appropriation

[@user-bb2ff3np2c]

@@MisstressMourtisha you are part of the problem

[@thedarkestfateful]

22:32 as a witch who lives in a building with no balcony, I absolutely and totally agree with this opinion. I would love to incorporate more green witchery into my practice but I can only raise indoor plants.

[@justin_a_greenwitch]

You can forage in parks ❤

[@evamei9030]

Herbs can be indoor plants. Look up micro greens and try to invest in a couple small grow lights. You can also get creative. Once upon a time I grew basil under a desk lamp. I kept it in a makeshift greenhouse made with plastic wrap and skewers.

[@jenfries6417]

@@justin_a_greenwitch Even that is not always available. I live in a city where, for many decades, "park" meant playground and ball field, with only a few trees and lots of grass that gets mowed by giant, municipal, gas-powered mowers twice a week. Not a lot of foraging to be done. Urban witches often have to contend with scarcity of green spaces and urban pollution, which I would not want to add to my practice.

[@jturtle5318]

Are there parks in your area where you can do discreet rituals?

[@macylouwho1187]

You saying that about picking the practice apart and then the placebo effect and if it works-it works is probably the most important witchcraft tip I’ve ever heard after two years of looking into it. I’ve struggled so hard with having faith in anything for awhile now, about believing in either religion or witchcraft because my logical mind is at war with these things. I want to believe so much in the craft because religion is tearing the world apart (always has) and I just can’t be a part of that fight anymore with their wicked wicked hatred and massive control issues. It does very real harm in the world and people die over it every day. Screw that. I’m noping out of it. But the craft appeals to me so much because it allows me to believe in ME, in my power to accomplish things when I set my mind and work ethic to it. That is tangible and real, I dig it 😂. But you just completely solved one of my core issues with it in such an understandable way that I can finally put my doubts at rest. THANK YOU. I’m so grateful for this lesson.

[@tcconnection]

Being yourself is the best thing

[@someonerandom256]

I practice using the open label placebo effect, and I find it very satisfying! I don't believe in gods or godesses, an afterlife, or even the supernatural--just 'the natural yet unknown' as I like to call it, and yet I still find great value in my magical practice!

[@amandanelson3345]

I too struggle with this issue.

[@jturtle5318]

I so agree, especially about the harm of traditional religions. I worship the earth beneath my feet. No debating whether my deity exists, lol!

[@MisstressMourtisha]

​@@jturtle5318yessss

[@AndYourLittleDog]

There is no place for dogma in the craft….unless you want to be constrained and limited.

[@NightWarriorsStar]

Unpopular opinion: I don't think the whole "We are all divine" mentality is a good mentality to have. I feel like some people are just bad people because they choose to be bad people and there is nothing divine about that. This also goes with the divination users who try to make excuses for abusive people stating that they are suffering too and pushes you to forgive said person. It really invalidates our negative feelings about a person that are justified. Letting go of your hurt and healing your hurt should always be encouraged, but forgiving someone who clearly doesn't deserve it should not be normalized. Especially in witchcraft and working with energies and spells because it opens you up to spiritual attacks.

[@jturtle5318]

Yes. I have been a Quaker, and the belief that the "inner light" is present in everyone I can agree with, but that doesn't make them a good person, and it doesn't make me obligated to "forgive" them. I have begun calling that (mostly Christian) trend of being "required" to forgive "toxic forgiveness", because it can't be sincere or truthful if it's causing further harm to the victim. It also absolves the offender of their responsibility for repentance, reconciliation and restorative justice. Just my opinion.

[@papisaoco708]

I love what @jturtle5318 calls it, “toxic forgiveness.” I used to say the same thing as you guys. What I’ve come to understand about it is that there’s a way to forgive someone *internally* without “forgiving” them in the sense of toxic forgiveness. You don’t have to be friendly with that person or allow them to have your trust again. But what you can do is internally forgive them. Yes, go ahead and cut them out of your life, don’t deal with them, but all the while internally recognize that we were all born into this world a pure-hearted baby. Nobody came into this world evil. We were all influenced by the people that raised us, our upbringing, our culture, our neighborhood, our friends, movies, music etc etc. The thing about internal forgiveness is that it’s purely for your own sake. Removing that person from your life is all fine and great, but if you can’t hear that person’s name without your blood-pressure reacting, that person is still affecting you without even doing anything. This is why you have to *internally* forgive them and their actions. You’ve removed them from your physical life, don’t allow the past to torment you now and into the future. Through successful internal forgiveness you’ll be able to hear their name and not react. You’ll be able to even be in the same room as them and remain just as calm and peaceful as if they weren’t there (As long as they don’t pose any physical threat of course). I refuse to give toxic forgiveness to anyone. If they don’t deserve the time of day they don’t get it from me. But even those people who I find externally unforgivable, I make sure that internally they have no power over me, my mind, body or soul.

[@MisstressMourtisha]

This

[@michelle.uncensored]

I am in no way divine. I am also in no way a bad person. I'm just human.

[@MoonlitBookworm73]

My “unpopular” opinion is that candles are better than incense. As a very very new witch, I kept seeing a ton of other witches praising incense and using it as one of the most common tools. I thought it was probably something I needed, so I bought some and ended up with a ton of sticks of something that is not only a hazard to me (asthma) and my pets, but also just something I don’t like. It’s really messy and most of the scents don’t smell good to me. Candles also produce a lot less smoke which is much better for me and my pets. (Most candles can also be harmful, but I try to only burn candles when my cat is out of the room and/or when my window is open.)

[@DevonExplorer]

I absolutely agree. I have a cache of joss sticks but I rarely, if ever, use them because the smoke makes me cough, so the kind used on burners would be much worse for me. I light a scented candle in my kitchen every morning with the scent appropriate for the time of the year, which is a fab start to the day. Something you can do, if possible, is to make sure that the candles are made with ingredients that aren't harmful. Beeswax are also better, too. All the best. :)

[@ashleydavis2355]

I'm going to be totally honest...I have never found an incense that I like the smell of. If I feel like it's a necessary part of what I'm doing, it'll get burnt outside because it makes my whole house reek.

[@dontreadthisplease2416]

Ah I never even thought of this as a worry. Probably because I smoke cigarettes. I don't think candles and incense are the worst thing going into my lungs, personally, lmao. I really like how incense smell (frankincense in particular, some honestly smell nothing like what they say they are supposed to....looking at you, spencers.) so thankfully I don't have asthma. Not sure why someone would claim incense is somehow a "better" tool than a candle though. People use led candles and that's fine ffs.

[@amandanelson3345]

I've never liked incense!

[@jturtle5318]

I have severe allergies and asthma, so I burn only beeswax or veggie wax candles, and avoid scented ones. If I'm having an attack on a ritual day, I use battery candles, although I do apologize to the directions for the substitution.

[@kimberlylopez3230]

Since I was young I was always told roses are a sign of hidden infidelity, beautiful but hiding thorns, so no I wouldn’t use it in a love spell

[@churka5984]

*Unpopular opinion:* Casting spells on other people should be viewed the same way as doing anything else to other people. Magick doesn't need a special version of morality that differs from anything else you do. If you don't like manipulating people with words and actions, you _shouldn't_ cast spells that do the same. On the other hand, if you would phisically defend yourself or someone else, why would casting a spell that blocks or distracts someone as a defence be considered as bad or "black magic". Also, this idea that you should never ever do workings on other people (even when it's 100% consentual) makes no sense. We live in a world where we interact with others daily, both phisically and on subtle levels, which means that we are constantly affecting other's thoughts and emotions without even thinking about it. We simply don't live in a bubble.

[@jturtle5318]

It doesn't make sense not to do magic that helps other people, not everyone can cast spells. As a retired RN, I would never have expected my patients to administer their own chemotherapy.

[@saffron1996]

my unpopular opinion: sometimes gatekeeping is good, there are certain practices that should remain with certain cultures. also, sometimes (with the year and a day thing) withholding knowledge is good, because the person who is learning might not be ready to absorb the information and understand it in the correct way

[@kylaallen822]

Agreed but That's not necessarily gate keeping. That's education on closed practices, which many new witches would be unaware of until the chine across it. And gentle suggestions rather than adamant directions are much easier to hear.

[@jturtle5318]

Agree! Like "smudging", which many Native Americans find offensive when appropriated. I do burn various herbs, but for "smoke cleansing" or as an offering, not "smudging".

[@troodontidae9174]

thing is, where do you draw the line?? What if i want to gatekeep norse paganism because i'm of swedish descent? i hate the double standard.

[@michelle.uncensored]

The year and a day thing is wiccan - not witchcraft. People progress at their own pace and there is a lot of learning that can happen from FIFO.

[@aliciahammond7912]

I genuinely get a lot of energy, joy, and a hit of dopamine when I am forced to be resourceful and creative with what I have in my environment. The idea that I can buy so many things online just overwhelms me, and oftentimes, I just end up buying stuff I won't ever use. Being a child of the 90s, poor with adhd has its benefits. It truly is an important skill set to practice by challenging ourselves to utilize a minimalist mindset when it comes to magical practice. There is something to be said about simplicity. Great video Hearth, always a pleasure to see your videos. These videos especially are great thought provokers.

[@tcconnection]

Simplicity is great

[@kristibrown48]

Omg YESSSS… YOU DO NOT need to buy Himalayan salt or basic herbs from a occult shop for it to work you can buy it at your local grocery store I promise you it’s the same thing that you’re paid 10 times the amount for at the occult shop.

[@mlina1985]

My pet peeve is the word "gatekeeping" being thrown around willy-nilly. It's not gatekeeping if you are not handed everything on the silver platter. Looking for information or inspiration is one thing, but feeling entitled to being handed a practice that should be based on knowledge, understanding, wisdom and experience, without actually having to work on those things, is ridiculous.

[@alwayscuriousalwayslearnin]

prosperity colour say in many Chinese culture is red which is why you see home with entrance to the homes painted red doors .

[@sharonflowers2733]

I think some kind of meditation practice or self reflection work can help before practical magic. This helps your practice as you develop an awareness of how your spells are working or not, you can identify where you did well or not so well & reflect on how you would approach it differently next time. You definitely grow as a practitioner & you can work without an ego.

[@jenfries6417]

Loved this video. I'm looking forward to Part 2. Also, I love your outros. I'm an older, solitary, urban practitioner in the US, and I have several opinions that might be unpopular in some circles. Under the heading of "be mindful about what you buy" (total agreement): You can purify with common garden sage. All varieties of sage have cleansing/purifying properties. You don't need white sage. White sage is integral to a specific indigenous culture in the US, which has been under threat and suffered prejudice for many generations. Many members of that culture openly and publicly express the desire that other people would stop using their stuff. Since it would be polite to comply with that request, and since white sage is becoming dangerously rare in its native environment due to the plants being harvested from the wild for sale, I'd say it's time for practitioners to move on from white sage. This also applies to palo santo wood, which is similarly becoming endangered due to over-harvesting. Any good table of correspondences will give you many options for accessing the magical property or effect you need. Don't be stuck on whatever is in fashion at the moment. Under the heading of Safety First: It is not necessary to burn things. I like candles in general, and fire and smoke are excellent vehicles for magical practice, but I don't use them because I get migraines, and I live with a cat, and I'm an artist who works with paper. No fire or smoke in my space, thanks. I don't burn anything. My craft works just fine for me. Please, other practitioners, don't keep inundating me with candle spells or insisting that my talisman spells won't work if I don't burn the piece of paper. There are other kinds of practices. Also, essential oils are toxic. I don't mean emotionally or socially. I mean literally. I wish people would stop recommending them for everything. I watch people pursuing their practices in good and honest faith, and I just keep thinking about the cumulative effect on their health of all those micro-doses of toxins. Same with crystals. Please, please, be careful. Don't just read witchcraft books. Look up some chemistry, too. I speak to this as both a witch and an artist. Many people have no idea how poisonous common materials and substances can be, especially over prolonged exposure. A person who occasionally puts a few drops of essential oil in their bath isn't at risk. A witch who uses essential oils in all their workings and practices and handles them directly, even rubbing oils into their skin, and does so day after day, year after year, that's a whole different level of exposure.

[@jturtle5318]

Yes! I have severe asthma, and sometimes even beeswax candles are too much, so I use battery candles. Same with essential oils. I use jasmine and rose absolutes in skin cream for healing scars, because there's science behind that, and Dr Bronner's tea tree oil soap because it keeps the dainty parts rash free, but I absolutely have to push back on people proclaiming the latest miracle substance.

[@MisstressMourtisha]

Raspberry leaf works just as good as sage. It tells ghosts to "get the f out" too lol I like it more. I use sage but I'm part native, I use Palo Santo and frankincense when needed. To me they're sacred and should be used with care and only when needed. ❤ I don't think all essential oils are toxic but like you said understand chemistry. The shiney stuff in tigers eye is asbestos. People shouldn't be handling raw tigers eye or raw malachite because it's poisonous.

[@gaelle4328]

This also if you have any animals no essential oils at all ! Or common diffuser not for animal use …

[@YourWaywardDestiny]

The White Sage thing pisses me off to no end... Look, we can buy sage seeds, we can buy _white_ sage seeds if we're getting intensely nit-picky and that was the BEST results you've ever had, we really don't need to be getting the wild harvested sage in 99.999% of the uses we have for it. It's literally cheaper and easier just to have a sage plant. I don't understand why anybody would take a resource from others if they can substitute as easily as we can. Also, don't let people tell you you're evil for using sage to cleanse the air. It's literally a different thing for witchcraft than it is for Native practices. There's a historical backing of using pleasant smelling herbs to invoke the realms of spirituality, that exists in literally every religion, and sage smells really nice. If some one didn't go rooting around in native practices for loose parts like they did, we'd still come to the conclusion to burn sage eventually. Ours is not nearly as deep a connection, no matter what the spirituality thieves of the past would try to sell you, they literally had no idea what they were doing when they imitated smudging, and never had the hope to. Just use the garden sage, don't be an ass about use of sage.

[@shadowdancer9830]

I find magical tools becoming expensive and gaudy with no real true use. It became that way with those I started working with as status symbols instead of use, way back. Now... I would have called it a somewhat toxic environment. Then it was just a hassle and I didn't feel I was progressing with them. That was when I realized that I was more interested in the core workings of nature and spirit realms than gilded daggers and such. Which spurred me to examine shamanism and other pagan historical practices. Choosing the path of solo-practitioner for over two decades. That's me now - deriving truths and understanding from many sources. Like your channel and the Witch in the Woods channel. I've found them to expand on my understand and point to direction in my practicing that I might have overlooked or altogether missed. While I still practice "mainline" religion, my workings in the Craft has deepened my spirituality. Thank you for your insightful channel.

[@sydnifaith9870]

"Constantly picking apart everything you do" THIS. I've not been able to put words to it but this is what has been DESTROYING my practice. Constantly in a battle of what's "real" or not and dying for just any shred of evidence. Also, maybe unpopular but I feel like there HAS to be SOME rules because without coherence, I feel like it's automatically reduced to placebo, you know? Since leaving religion, I'm extra skeptical, but I'd always believed in magic and hope to soon find my own form of "proof" of at least solace.

[@papisaoco708]

I know where your coming from. What I’ll say is that your proof will come when your not looking for it. When your practice is driven by your genuine emotion, not practiced like a science experiment. Magic doesn’t work if it has to prove itself to you. In fact if your looking for magic to prove itself to you, your actively making it not work. Magic comes from the seed of belief. And i don’t mean *convincing* yourself that you beleive it (momentarily) so you can test it out and see if it works. That’s not belief, it’s lying to yourself. That being said, if you want real-world evidence you don’t need to look any further than the phenomenon of the placebo-effect. The word “placebo” gets thrown around and used so often, and in the scientific field at that, that we tend to see right past the fact that it’s probably the most tangible & scientifically accepted piece of magic we can see with our own eyes. Hundreds if not thousands of studies and documented results. Doctors know that it works, they’re taught to employ it in their profession, how much more scientific evidence do we need in order to see that when somebody believes in something, that thing manifests even when it makes no sense to have manifested that way. To this day doctors can’t tell you *how* or *why* the placebo effect works, but they still use it on their patients. That’s because they aren’t taught about magic in their schooling, they’re only taught the scientific side of things. So they’ll never be able to explain it unless they come to terms with the magical side of nature. And again, magic comes from the seed of *Belief*, there’s a reason doctors *lie* to their patients about those sugar pills in order to induce the placebo effect.

[@blainegarcia2503]

Let's break the cycle. Telling people they are less than if/because is like telling people they're going to hell for believing differently.

[@ArisEmriis]

Thank you! Well said

[@jasonread2887]

Unpopular opinions 1. It really does help if you have a great teacher and work for a time in a group in person. Reading books is great but is limited. There's some experiences not easily, though not impossible to attain without a group. Reading a book by Gemma Gary is great, working in her coven is better. 2. You never seek the cheapest option in anything when you buy or make magical tools. Never haggle. 3. Intuition yes, but intuition informed by real work and study and not merely making shit up because you're lazy or unsocial. 4. As bad as fluffy bunny is 'bad bunny', edgelording 'darkness' and 'working with demons' for the sake of likes on social media.

[@jturtle5318]

#4 so much! If a real demon showed up they would soil themselves. I always remind people to never summon anything they can't banish.

[@ventusheart5733]

In Hermetism, they believe that symbolism, magic, astrology and alchemy are the four wall of the sacred temple.... But the wall of symbolism needs one of the three other walls to stand 🫠🫠🫠❤️

[@_mariahs_lamb_4ever848]

Unpopular opinion 1| Intention is NOT everything. Unpopular Opinion 2| There are rules to magic. Unpopular opinion 3| The “Threefold Law” is not real.

[@NeloBladeOfRanni]

Fully agree on the third one

[@xJadeWolfxx]

I also agree on the Intention is not everything. The rules are flexible, but there are still rules. Traditions have survived for a reason.

[@TissaRobinn]

Agree on all three👍

[@aloneinthedarkl159]

to me the threefold law is more like karma.

[@jturtle5318]

❤ ❤ ❤ 🧙‍♀️

[@phoenixkali]

My altar has no candles , incense, pointy knives or ornaments, instead I have torches, glue , a number of sharp tools and drills and jigsaw. With these tools I manifest the furniture inside the cabin I built and the farm coops with mindfulness. Not all witches have floaty cloaks and recite incantations but I do sing my chickens to sleep in Sanskrit every night. And I do journal to focus my energy on my next project.

[@NikkiBairdBlog]

I am a semi truck driver in the US I am home less than 1 month a year I don’t have the time or space to supply myself with fresh hand grown herbs or really many ingredients. Even ordering things can become a difficultly.

[@mathildehb0076]

My unpopular opinion among witches: One can not always be positive, and it will not necessarily make us less magical. We can always have bad days, and not acknowledging it, will make true positivity harder to regain. Yes, there is fake positivity out there and it will only feed the negativity even more. Some times even, having moments where we are not as mindful, can help us becoming deeper in our mindful moments. ☯️

[@diannkelley3481]

You are the best teacher and by far my favorite on KZbin! Thank you for opening my mind. Some things never occurred to me! Yeah, I can’t harvest my own herbs because I don’t have enough sun in my yard because I have so many trees. I don’t feel comfortable cutting down trees to grow all my own plants. I have begun composting and will try again to grow some herbs and vegetables next year. Thank you for your guidance. ❤

[@ButterflyHummingbird]

Have you tried greenhouse growing? There are many different styles and prices; check out the DIY greenhouse videos here on KZbin. There are alternative methods of growing herbs and most crops. Not all herbs require full sun, most in fact require low or in-direct sun due to their delicacy. You may be pleasantly surprised at all the options available for growing all kinds of crops. Good luck and blessed be! 🎉💖💞

[@syddlinden8966]

Herbs also grow really well in window boxes or in planters.

[@diannkelley3481]

@@ButterflyHummingbird wow, thank you. No, that never crossed my mind. I will look into it. Thanks again!

[@jturtle5318]

Compost is an excellent start! I began using permaculture concepts in my gardening and it really helps. Ironically, I'm gardening in a one acre horse paddock, and I'm starting apple seeds and acorns that I shamelessly collect from people's yards. I have also purchased a few apple trees in my favorite flavors.

[@HeribertoRangelM]

Dream interpretation is more about your personal feelings, not about what you see in the dream. Even Freud couldn't interpret some of Carl Jung dreams.

[@lionspawfilmandphoto]

I always have difficulty finding the logic behind buying a really expensive Money Manifesting Oil. To me that seems to negate the whole reason why you're doing a money spell.

[@Timetravel1111]

Umm 🤔 the oils and herbs 🌿 help focus 🧘🏽‍♀️ and raise the power, when you use it also, you Smell it and should connect you to wanting to take action towards doing things that can make you money, help you save money, to change your ways and grow… appreciation etc. BELIEVE in the plants- oils.

[@jenfries6417]

Well, it manifests money for the person who sells it to you, at least. Maybe if the buyer sells it on...

[@tcconnection]

I agree, does negate

[@lionspawfilmandphoto]

​@@Timetravel1111I'm talking about buying a pre-fab oil, as opposed to crafting your own from found ingredients.

[@amandanelson3345]

I don't believe anyone should feel they have to buy anything to cast a spell. If you want to buy something and it works for you, that's fine also. Your kitchen probably already has an herb that will work, or a penny, or whatever you already have. It's about your personal intention. If the pricey oil doesn't jive with your intention, you don't need it.

[@starscreamthecruel8026]

I love Sharks. I love lots of sea creatures. I have pendants of sharks, dolphins, starfish, crabs, conch shell etc. Sharks to me represent resilence, strength, cunning, intelligence and longevity. This is a species that has been around for thousands of years. They are built to last. I find that energy empowering when you feel run down and burnt out.

[@user-gk4cc1bi2m]

One minute in, YES! The toxic spaces within the community is the reason why I describe myself as a lone wolf. It seems like a pretentious title, I understand that, but it's a very effective excuse when people want me to join in with their group practice when on the inside I'm like "nooooope!" I've done work with people I trust and even with strangers that I have properly vetted, but sometimes it's better to do things alone than to work with a group of people who aren't good.

[@jwo1923]

Some things that annoy me is... *Some people think all witchcraft practices are wiccan related. *Some confuse witchcraft and religion. *Gatekeeping a practice. (The only one that does not apply to this one is voodoo. This practice is invitation only.)

[@moonstonepearl21]

That one about some people being persnickety about your herbs needing to be grown by you reminds me of this chef I saw on TV who was saying the same kind of thing. She was just strolling through her massive personal garden at the end, and I'm like, "Yea. Most people don't have that."

[@perogieluver]

"Being mindful of the way we're purchasing things": yes. This is why I don't eat very much meat. Not a vegan, but I think if you're using factory farmed eggs and animal products in your spells, they're not gonna have the same energy as animal products that came from animals that were treated with love and respect. Factory farming really is appallingly awful.

[@jturtle5318]

I love that.

[@cosmicpolitan]

In my opinion, we would ALL benefit if we would stop "shoulding" each other - saying witches "should do this" or "shouldn't do that" isn't persuasive or productive and it creates division. As the old saying goes, "Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and they all stink."

[@Helensche]

Witchcraft is all about working with what you have. What do you mean you can’t slaughter a goat during full moon? How dare you call yourself a practitioner! 🤣

[@juliereminiec4937]

Do you practice Voodoo?

[@Helensche]

@@juliereminiec4937 no. I was joking.

[@stories2022]

I think it is intuition, uniqueness, I respect and admire sharks.

[@jessmoseleyart]

Love this Hearth, thank you for these. When it comes to herbs, as you mentioned about mobility issues that is what I have, so going to woods and foraging just doesn't happen for me unless it's on the flat or close to where I've parked. I'm having to rely on buying from ethical shops/sellers or just normal herb pots from the superstore I use for cooking. And that's okay! Doesn't make me or anyone else less or more magical ✨💜

[@MishaSims]

i'm horrified to hear this some of this stuff. my god, the toxic people in these spaces.

[@cherylbowen4229]

Probably an unpopular opinion is you can work magick without dressing like a witch and without witchy tools. After years of magickal workings spells can evolve into mind magick and it can work very well.

[@intjill]

First, I would like to point out that veganism is not a diet. It is a lifestyle. People confuse it too often with plant-based which is a diet. Second, I agree and disagree. Depending on a person’s practice veganism should be a part of it. Such as if you work with the ocean or Mother Earth in general. Contributing to the destruction and harm to them while claiming to work with them doesn’t jive, and animal agriculture (the majority of where animal products come from) is one of the biggest things causing harm to the earth. Now if you found roadkill, and wanted to use the parts of the animal for your practice that is different. The harm has already been done to the being, and using it could be a way to honor the spirit of that being.

[@vyvienn]

Thank you for this!

[@raquel5401]

I'm a solitary practitioner and I use whatever color or crystal feels right to me for what I am doing. For me it helps me strengthen my intention because it resonates with me. Love your channel by the way.

[@lorainnemuller6515]

It took me a couple of years before I found the Athame that spoke to me, and it's still one of my prized possessions, because it chose me!

[@invadertifxiii]

yes i completely agree for example i used dragons blood incense for my samhain altar instead of sandalwood or something more correspondence with samhain because it called to me

[@realherbalism1017]

On candle colors, you should use whatever color candle best represents the goal to you. If blue makes you think of prosperity then use blue. Just know that that is YOUR personal correspondence.

[@goremonio]

I try not to purchase too many spell components. There's a wilderness area near my home where I can find stones, herbs, the occasional bird feather or animal bone. I make sure not to take large or harmful quantities and will often return the stones back to the source.

[@scottthomas6202]

As with so many other things, work with what you have, experiment, and maybe make your own stuff, if possible. Years ago, I saw a woman with a tiny herb garden grown in a plastic tub she found in curbside trash, and a yard sale clamp lamp, and a 60 watt grow bulb from K-Mart. She lived in a tiny apartment, and just wanted some greenery.

[@Bellllllz]

You have thee absolute best bloopers. I feel like we could hang out and be goofy af for hours.

[@papisaoco708]

My unpopular witchcraft opinion: More people should look into Vedic/Sidereal astrology and give it the time of day. I used to Swear by my Tropical Astrology horoscope, but once I learned my vedic chart everything made perfect sense. I realized there was so much of my Tropical signs that I was lowkey justifying when they didn’t apply to me. Also it’s the Vedic placements of the stars that match what we see when we look at the sky.

[@ArisEmriis]

I didn't have the best of luck with tropical astrology until I found out more, namely the 3 decans of each sign. There are also other determinants (not detriments) like moon phase on your birth date, Hecate placement, Lilith etc. Everything made a Lot more sense once I discovered what weekly and monthly online horoscopes don't tell you. I had to research on my own.

[@Amethyst77710]

Irrelevant but your makeup is AMAZING 🤩

[@janesmith1398]

Thank you, Hearth. Looking forward to part 2. 💜

[@BeautifulJazzyJay]

Unpopular opinion #2: light // dark magick is a very controversial term and rooted in racism. Plus, life is duality not one or the other.

[@kylaallen822]

Very well said! I look forward to the next video!

[@ArisEmriis]

IDK if this will qualify as an unpopular opinion but I'll say it anyway because I believe if anyone follows this advice, they will be helped: get off of 90% of your social media when it comes to your craft. Buy or borrow books that are time tested and most importantly: trust your gut! Your intuition is your superpower. Let me say that again a little louder: YOUR INTUITION IS YOUR SUPERPOWER!!! Stay away from those ego saturated, middle school mentality spaces. I spend very little time on social media regarding my spiritual life and craft. I watch Hearth here and others on KZbin that I can count on one hand. Remember, you are not those people and you can't filter your own spiritual reality through another person's ideas and experiences. Take what resonates with you from what you watch, leave the rest and move on. You must trust yourself in the end and no one else.

[@grace-4072]

idk if u mention this in the video as im commenting before i watch but my personal unpopular opinion is that color = correspondence for me !! When it comes to crystals i am sooo terrible with remembering their names so i go based off their colors and shapes to see if they will help me out. Sometimes they’re just my little guys. anyway

[@DarklyYours]

I actually really enjoyed this video. I was pleasantly surprised that we agree on so much as practitioners. I just did an interview with my friend No Flimflam Film Phan and I was feeling somewhat insecure about the opinions I voiced on witchcraft. I feel better after watching this and knowing there are other witchy creators that think like I do.

[@lulumoon9]

Great discussion, and I really appreciate your take on these.

[@amy3127]

I love the end of your videos! I mean, I love your videos period, but thank you for always making me smile so much.

[@amandanelson3345]

Hearth, Thank you for accepting all types of diversity. Just because people don't personally agree with one another does not maķe them wrong. Diversity makes the world go round and teaches us acceptance and humility. Blessings to you.

[@kellyhuffman9216]

I am new to practicing and I just wanted to say thank you for your videos. They are helping me with a lot of questions that I have.

[@AmyOhio]

Really happy I found you and I'm learning, thank you. Plus I love how you said "Good soup", I giggled 🖤.

[@thehomeschoolinglibrarian]

I want to stress the You Don't Need a Thing to practice Magick. I started practicing back when I was a teen pre social media and I had a few things and used stuff. I cast circles, called the corners and did magick with writen spells. I am now a nearly 40 year old SAHM of a 4 year old little girl and have 4 very nosy cats. All my spell work is strictly energy and mostly I just reach out to the powers with what ever energy my preschooler leaves me with, which isn't much. I can't even set up an alter because I have no space and again preschooler and very nosy and often chewy cats. I still feel close to my craft and the goddess makes herself known to me when I need her.

[@JungleJuliaQueen]

I started working in an esoteric publishing company as editor/proofreader some months ago. Although I'm an experienced linguistic professional, I had no previous idea about magik, spellwork, paganism, etc. So I had to start researching through hundreds (I mean, HUNDREDS) of books, sites, indexes... Nowadays, I can say that you're a reliable source for my work and research. You master your matery. Congrats, and many thanks

[@debbiethrall2046]

Great video! Thank you for making it.

[@CoveKat]

I really liked this video and im happy some one touched on these topics when doing so could have backlash on you. Youre brave and upfront, thank you.

[@jtru0]

I greatly appreciate your insight. You show how approachable witchcraft can be. You have inspired me to start my path to practicing. Thank you and I am grateful I was led to your channel. I have learned so much, and am looking forward to learning so much more!

[@jamesmerry6725]

Witchcraft is about being inclusive. We are a diverse group of people.

[@witchways]

I loved this. Especially the part about it being difficult to learn energetics from a picture on social media. And I loved the attention you brought to "you're not a real witch if_ _ _" Thank you.

[@colindateeuwisse6848]

I am very intuitive with my magic so I made my own correspondence. I❤ your channel. Your always so respectful.

[@zoeferbrache]

Thank you so much Hearth,many blessings to you, I love your videos always wonderful❤😊

[@drtek1329]

Greetings! Your insights are SO refreshing! I have made most of my magical tools. There is nothing like the feeling of holding your own personal athame or wand or broom or staff. You are so wise for your years. Thank you for sharing!

[@mrkultra1655]

Thanks Hearth, brilliant as always 🥰

[@Warrior-re5fn]

Shout out I love watching your videos. I'm learning alot and you are appreciated 🧙🏼‍♂️🌙👍🏼This video was amazing. I have been witnessing this on Facebook big time. The negative and shaming tactics. So sad. I am a Eclectic Salutare. So you know I gather from all. Thank you.

[@maggienair6630]

First time viewer, really enjoyed your video. Subscribed for all notifications. Good luck and blessings 🙏❤️🙏 will be watching daily from South Africa ❤️

[@witchNwand]

Good vid Hearth, crazy lady at the end of it 😄

[@annetteowen1591]

I love hearing from young witches. You offered excellent advice in your videos. Thank you for sharing. I have been a solitary practitioner since the mid 1970s and appreciate how each witch is an individual.

[@reallymadnomad7330]

This is excellent. More, please.

[@zyphrumzypheny2631]

Hearth, you're so funny at the end of this video. anywho, I watch other witchcraft (and dare I say Wiccan) channels. but, I tend to watch yours more, you are much more approachable. thanks.