Firenze

"Sleep with them, meditate with them, lay with them and put down your roots." I like that! Need to meditate with them more. I realize I needed to be more specific – I meant working with live plants. I feel like I come across a lot notes about how to use their parts for ingredients and materials, and wanted to see what other kinds of ways people have to engage with them.

I really like that idea! And the pranking element is delicious too! "You think you put me out? I'll show you!" :D

How do people here like to work with live plants? For me, I gather my small potted plants to stand watch as witnesses or sentinels when I do workings. I'm don't know what inspired me to do so, but it makes me feel less lonely and so it's what I do now. Sometimes I forget to water my plants, but I'm trying to motivate myself by using the watering time as a moment to connect and reflect upon my grandpa, who I remember always took the time to water and cultivate his plants on the balcony when I was a child. I was curious how others here find ways to connect with living plants and how it has influenced your craft. Edited to clarify I mean live plants

Hah, very creative! Another thing that goes to show you don't always have to buy new stuff :)

The Wild Unknown has a very special place in my heart. It's very beginner-friendly (no reversals) and the artist herself came out with a guide that's made it really easy and straightforward to work with. The nature imagery in the deck is lovely and reflects the spirit/characteristics of nature well (It's really beautiful and respectful, but isn't romanticized). I think it can be good for beginners who feel a lot of trepidation/anxiety with starting their divination work. It's got a very grounding and matter-of-fact energy to it. Next would have to be The Paulina Tarot. It's a really good deck and fairly gentle deck, chock-full of symbolism (bc RWD), and has much to say. Super interesting, but requires more patience, more thought, and more maturity. I just received The Angelarium by Peter Mohrbacher. The paintings are beyond. I love the art. I don't have a strong idea of how I'm to use it yet (it draws heavily on concepts in Kabbalah? And I'm not a follower nor am I familiar with it), but the paintings and the spirit of the imagery speaks so strongly to me. I'm just waiting for the right strike of inspiration/epiphany now...haha.

I've taken to working basically with small candles exclusively! I haven't done workings that extend for several days, so I prefer smaller candles that can be used easily for one-shots and are easy to store. Tea lights are great! Sometimes I get my candles from either Big Dipper Wax Works (for beeswax) or off of Etsy (I've got my eyes on some of Elizaville Beeswax's shiny rose-gold 6-inch candles. That'll be for a splurge). I haven't made a candle yet, but I've considered it. It'd be such a potent tool to add to a working, but alas, I haven't made time for it. I'm considering putting birthday candles into my travel altar. The size is so convenient.

If anyone enjoys working with flower essences or gemstone essences, I recommend taking a look at Sister Spinster's potions! I've tried "Graces" during a time when I was highly anxious, stressed out, very unwell due to my external environment and those around me (I was working in a very dysfunctional workplace) and it helped quite a bit. I'm also a fan of "Spellwork" and "Ghosts." Just thought I'd throw the her little store up here! :)

Maybe a course on children's literature??? Just to stay on topic: Still on tarot books, lol! Reading Mary K. Greer's Tarot for Your Self now; so far not bad, but I don't know if I buy into the whole bunch of stuff like determining your "soul" and "personality" cards right now, but I do appreciate her exercises in getting to know the tarot meanings better. And starting to read Christopher Penczak's The Outer Temple of Witchcraft." I got a really good impression of his writings when I previewed his "Inner Temple" book through Google and since my library only had the "Outer Temple," I just got that to tide me over for now.

I have to get my hands on that book too! I'm currently reading a few tarot books because I recently bought a tarot deck (the Paulina Tarot!). It's working surprisingly well. Reading Paul Quinn's "Tarot for Life" (such a cheesy title, but the content is pretty good!) and starting Mary K. Greer's "The Complete Book of Tarot Reversals." Good books for any tarot beginner, I'd say.