I like to watch “American Pickers” and they sometimes run into a spouse, son or daughter of a collector that has died and they often have no interest in the collection or have any idea of its (monetary) value. Hopefully it ends up in the hands of someone who’ll appreciate it, but sometimes it doesn't. It’s probably a good idea to think about where you want your stuff to go after you die if they are things that you care about.
My very first wand is a length of rosebush from Mom's garden is that object for me. It cost me nothing but has may years of time & sentimental value. I'm always surprised with how much I spent on crystals and I don't frequently use them.
This video brought so much to my attention. When I first began my journey into witchcraft I got a white sea shell while we were on a family vacation. An old woman was selling all kinds of shells and jewelry. But I grabbed a shiny, smooth white shell. It cost me one dollar. In its simplicity I saw the beauty. I held it and felt the goddess. It's been on every altar I've ever made. Even now as a 34 year old, and I have alot of statues. That shell means more to me than them. Because She was with me then. When I was searching for a Goddess representation for my simple shoebox altar, She led me to that white sea shell.
Great topic! When we downsized our 3 bedroom home to live in a house bus I gave a lot of my "stuff" away to other practicing witches I knew would appreciate and respect it. The books I gave away were all ones I could not purchase digitally so still have a collection, we now live in a tiny house so have more room than the bus. My hand made items gifted to me are my most treasured items, from my athame, wand, bowls, pen stand, wooden box my 34 yr old son made me when he was at primary school aged around 10 to "put my witchie treasures in".
My absolute favourite witchy stuff is my second hand items , altar items and books . I have two brass goblets a matching pair one for each altar , they were a steal and I love them❤ I repurpose jar candles with lids , clean them out cleanse them and put my herbs in them , Ive spent way too much money on jars for herbs in the past !! I'm a newbie , love your channel 😊
Once again, your timing is weirdly prescient. While I do purchase a fair amount of books, tools, and ingredients, I've found that the things I use the most and that have the most meaning are gifted or found. I truly believe that the heart of good magick and witchcraft lies in intention. Thanks as always and blessed be💗
This is an awesome topic and one I talk about frequently amongst my chat servers. Tools can be great, but we don't have to 'collect them all' so to speak. I love putting emphasis on getting what you need and what you'll use, especially since it's become so commercialized to us. And, while that makes it more accessible, it also can make us fall into more capitalism of always buying, but not necessarily using. For me, I will be donating my altar tools to one of my friends and a temple in the Wiccan church of Canada when I pass on.
Sorry to hear of the loss of your father! One way to pass things on is to give them to a Pagan Library, for example. the Adocentyn Research Library. Of course the libraries need some financial support as well for rent, shelving, supplies.
Thank you! And yes, that’s a good idea, I think. I just worry about the financial stability of organizations like that in the longterm. Hopefully those become a really viable option in the coming decades.
I have this big grey army trunk that is leftover from my dad's military career. First it was used as a coffee table at my brothers home. Then he moved out of the country and somehow that trunk was left to me. Then it became my first altar and now as I'm moving I have packed the majority of my magical stuff in it. And luckily I have a daughter and we have made a deal that she will take all my magical stuff when I'm gone and keep them in the family. And I'm currently in a process with our new home that I will decorate my magical room with lots of ingerited family objects like grandmoms carpet, great grandad's writing table etc. I think that adds an extra ancestral vibe to my special room to have not only pictures of people on my ancestral altar but also alot of their stuff.
This was great! One of my most treasured “things” is a large flat stone I found… it’s roughly a foot long, 8 inches wide, and an inch thick… About 20 years ago I was getting started and this book I was learning from (which, looking back really was a terrible book but we all start somewhere lol) said I needed a large stone that I could potentially stand on to represent the Stone of Destiny… I found it in the river bed that traveled through our family ranch and I’ve held onto it ever since. I don’t use it in the way the original book laid out anymore but instead I use it as a small sacred space for burning candles or other smaller workings especially when I’m outside and away from my regular altar space.
I’ve written detailed instructions to my sons about what to do with all of my magical stuff. It’s kept with my will. They don’t practice themselves so I’ve had to explain why certain things must be burnt or buried with me etc in the letter. They are used to seeing the things on my altars but have never seen inside my witch store cupboard & won’t know what my personal poppet is or how important it is unless I leave the instructions. I also don’t want them being shocked by some of my spell ingredients. If it feels like the time is right I may well show them the stuff before I die but I wanted to make sure the issue is covered in case of sudden unexpected death. After dealing with both my dads & then a few years later my mum’s ordinary stuff when they died I didn’t want my sons to have to go through all that added angst of what to do with my magical stuff.
I've been thinking a lot about this exact thing. I'm 65, have had cancer treatment 2 years ago and a couple health concerns. My family has no magical interest. I do have 3 close friends in the craft and a few magical acquaintances. Those 3 friends are quite a bit younger than I, younger than my children even lol so I've basically left word for them to be able to take my tools and anything they want from my library. Any books they don't want I've asked my daughter to give them to either a local used book/magical shop or half price books. Mostly because I want people who want them to be able to find them and half price books is always low on their magical section and the witchy population is always scouring that store. My daughter has agreed to take any dogs that I may leave behind and my son and his girlfriend will take household items since he's a near hoarder and daughter is near minimalist lol. Beyond that I'm trying to work my way through clearing out things myself.
My offering bowl is something I made as a kid… or at least just painted. Perfect size. Just handy. I don’t really have attachments to it though and I’d like to make one out of a leaf mold someday. When I die I don’t care about my stuff lol! So long as my animals are taken care of that’s all I care about. When my grandmother died I acquired a lot of her stuff. The main thing from her that hold a lot of meaning for me is still her watch. It’s what got me started on this path in a recurring dream. She was also super Christian. 🤣 Hope you are well, sorry to hear about your dad.
Fantastic topic! I feel that we don't discuss the BOS/Grimoire topic nearly enough. We (generally speaking) get so precious about it that many of us are afraid to even put a single mark in the gorgeous, leather-bound books we purchase with the romanticized ideal that we will create this epic tome that will be handed down for generations. If you haven't watched Molly Roberts video "Rock Your Grimoire" yet, I encourage you to. It helped me work my way through all the reasons I wasn't getting serious about my BOS and understand what I wanted to achieve vs what I thought I was supposed to accomplish. My magical tools tend to be mundane items that could be later donated to a charity shop without much issue regarding what they were used for previously. One of my favorite things is a big wooden spoon that I picked up for less than 10 bucks. It was an exercise in manifestation and it worked brilliantly, so it serves as more of a reminder to me than anything else. In contrast, I bought a mezzaluna knife that I had intended to use for herbs, but still haven't put forth the effort to study in-depth. So I was thinking of rehoming it. I do intend to get a will done up in the near future, with instructions to donate my books to a library or second-hand bookstore so there is at least the hope someone else will get enjoyment out of them. Thank you for giving me more to consider.
My favorite unexpected loves amongst my tools are a couple of dollar store margarita glasses that I use as braziers. The center is indented perfectly to hold a little charcoal disk. They don't conduct heat down the stem or up to the rim. The smoke of burning herbs sort of collects in the bowl and then puffs out in fairly large clouds of smoke that disperse by dancing around the room. They are pretty cool. The only important thing is not to let any burning stuff get bellow the charcoal or a sudden burst of heat can break the stem. Also, my father once gave me a cane for Christmas, the top of which un screws into a compass and if you take it off there is a concealed flask in the cane proper. For no apparent reason I decided to stick some bird feather to it and wrap a couple of plush snakes around and ta da... a caduceus. As goofy as it looks, when it's in my hand I feel powerful. Least favorite is a spear. My two best friends in college and I got coned into being guys hanging out in the back ground holding spears and wearing medieval garb in a production of Macbeth in my senior year. At the last party of the year we were hunting around for souvenirs of our last days at school and discovered that back stage was unlocked so we grabbed one of the spears, which ended up in my trunk.. then my house and more than 38 years later.. it's still with me. I've kept thinking it should be good for something. Eventually, I started using it as a trigger and a wand when I work with a god form of Odin. I love it and it feels right and powerful in my hand, but it's too big for my space, if I turn around without thinking... it breaks somethings.... like in a bad slapstick comedy. When I try to describe a gematrical figures or sigals in the air... the back of it smacks into things. It's more trouble than its worth.. but I think it loves me ha ha ha. As far as what will become of them when I die. Don't know. I don't have anyone in mundane life who is interested. No down line... my executors, or the state will probably just throw it all away or sell it. One tip on death and stuff though.. I tend to give books as gifts for birthdays and holidays. After the deaths of my father and grandmother, a lot of them came back to me and given how hard it is for me to just dispose of books... well.. if you give people books as gifts, not only should they be something the recipient would like.. but they should be something that you might be interested in... if... you find them all coming back to you some day.
My thrift store candy dish is a small offering bowl that a highschool boyfriend made in ceramics class and gave to me. I have a few other items that have been with me for even longer and are too precious to even speak about. I loved this video 🙏
I love your thoughts about the books and journals. When I started out I had this really romantic idea of writting all the information I find in books ready to pass down to a future child or whoever I would feel would benefit from it. As my practice advanced I realized that I was flat out disagreeing with most of the information I wrote in my BOS and my Grimoire, and found that I had put a lot more energy into making my practice personnal to the point where it wouldn't serve anyone else the way it serves me. I simply realized that my very romantic idea was simply not practical.
Right? Cuz it’s always evolving..... it’s like even tho I have hundreds of books, none is THE book, but they all have gems sprinkled throughout, which actually seem to change depending on where you’re at in your craft - baffling
Its so funny you talk about the Book of Shadows. I delved into the world of witchcraft only a year and a half ago, and I knew from the beginning that I wanted a BOS, but it wouldn't look anything like a lot of witches books. I have terrible handwriting and Zero drawing ability. So my BOS is spread between a few notebooks, paperback style that are cute on the outside, but clearly ugly on the inside. And that's ok by me. I never intended it to be passed down to anyone, I don't pretend to ever have something in that book that someone else can't get from other sources. My tool of particular sentimental value and attachment is the wand that I made. I'm teaching myself woodworking as a trade, and its the first thing I ever turned on my lathe. Its beautiful, made from Wild Olive wood from my family farm. Thanks for a great thought provoking video!
the vast majority of my "magickal tools" i created in my garden, gourds for drums/rattles/diddly bow/warhorn/didgeridoo/masks, red clay i dug up at the lake for sigils/writing/drawing, following and learning about the seasons and nature by gardening. my wife and i are teaching our kids how to do these things so although my magickal tools might not be used by them they are being taught how to create their own.
Because I live in a very conservative area, I've been kind of forced to be in the closet. Most of my objects are thrifted items that have multiple uses, things that don't necessarily have any religious connotation except to me. And I thought alot about what will happen to my stuff when I go. Because of this I just assume that my stuff will be divided up between my family and what's left will be donated. My physical books are few and hopefully will make it to a good home. Most are ebooks and will float in the cloud untouched. Most of my belongings will go back to serving a non spiritual life, but one I hope will give some comfort and remembrance to those who loved me. Those items that go to those who don't know me, I hope they give joy in whatever role they play in the lives of those who find them while thrifting, just as I have had. My daughter is now interested in the occult and she might see some of my tools as necessary to her practice, if so they might continue on as some sort of sacred thing.
Thank you for this video. I’ve been thinking about this subject lately, well since my vehicle accident. I started to give away my things or sell them to other witches. Mostly books I’ve read and no longer need. Altar decor, candles, statues, and loads of incense, Tarot/Oracle cards. I’ve only kept a few things that I do use all the time, which is not much. The other stuff I had no connection to and didn’t want anymore bc I never used them. So when I do leave here and move on I know my loved ones won’t be overwhelmed with everything I left behind. I also know my daughter will use what I’ve left behind. I also canceled my witchy subscription boxes.
My best friend (and fellow pagan) has been given instructions to remove all magical paraphernalia from my home when I die so as not to hurt my parents. Dad wouldn't be surprised, but Mom is VERY Christian, and I'll be dead, so aside from wanting someone to put a gold coin under my tongue, which they wouldn't be able to see anyway, I don't really care. At this point anyway, maybe that will change as I get older. What she does with my stuff is really up to her. She might keep some stuff (she worships Loki too). Hopefully she'd give my Hestia altar things to my cousin who would appreciate it. I don't know if anyone would really appreciate all of my books. Which is a pity. My library isn't as extensive as yours, but I'm still proud of it.
Very interesting topic! The value of our stuff depends on us, and when we die the value can also die. Our civilisation has also lost the sense of tradition, wich means stuff and habits that will survive us. It's interesting to put awareness on it when we buy something, also to be aware of what we want to transmit to our family! Sorry for my english and good luck to deal with the stuff of your father.
My most used magical tool so far has been my staedtler mechanical drawing pencil I got from a set of liners. I unexpectedly fell in love with using it in art, and use it now for carving into candles since I already had a connection with it, and I love how it's a tool used for mundane and magickal things. I'll probably find something else to carve with eventually, since it's not the best for carving, but as of now, it works well enough for me.
I am very attached to my $2 water dish that also came from the thrift store! Immediately, I was reminded of oysters and that famous verse from The Sea Goddess. It has scalloped edges, and the inside is a gorgeous soft coral/pink color. Also has a handle, which is perfect for use in circle. It's such a feminine and delicate thing- definitely not my style but it just felt right!
My husband and I have often thought about what would happen to our stuff after we pass, since we don’t have kids. I’m mostly worried about my ancestor altar and my shrines. Will it just be trashed?
My most used “magical tool” by far is my phone. Aside from using it for learning via UA-cam or reading books I regularly use it to play guided meditations or background music for workings. I guess anybody could make use out of a phone so if I died it would probably be resold, but it likely wouldn’t be used for witchery in the way I use it.
lmao an MLM of western spirituality killed me. Unexpected magical tool for me is a walking stick from when I was a kid, made out of a pretty piece of cherry wood I found in the woods. We've been through so many adventures, but now that I'm 30 (and 6'2) I have definitely outgrown it. I recently chopped the whole thing into discs, sanded, sealed and carved them to create an anglo-frisian rune set. Transforming the tool from one into another has added a whole other dimension to my runic practice, and it is easily one of my most connected tools. But to others? It's a bag of wood chunks, and who knows where they'll end up after I pass.
I totally understand your thing about the candy dish. I have a couple of things I am bonded to like that too and they are, what most people would see as "meh" items but they have been a part of my spiritual journey from the very beginning. I have a small sedimentary rock that shows several years of geological change. It's fits in the palm of my hand. I've had it since childhood. It represents earth on my daily alter. This rock is a part of me. I have a small conch-style shell. It too fits in the palm of my hand. I've hand it since childhood as well. It represents water on my daily (always set up) alter. I am totally attached to it. I have a Blue Jay feather that literally fell at my feet as I was playing in the fields on the farm I grew up on. It's beautiful and large...likely a wing or tail feather. It's air on my daily alter. These three things are especially precious to me and I would cry if I ever lost them.
Perfect timing, Thorn! I've just been reorganizing and looking through all my ~stuff.~ yes, I'm more inspired to use them again, but I can't use all of them at once. So much stuff.
Great topic! I’m working towards becoming a death educator and I think about this a lot. Having some plans in place (even loose plans) for your most precious stuff- especially in the event of an unexpected passing is one of the greatest gifts people can leave for their loved ones. It’s such a burden to leave grieving people to also sort out other people’s attachments and interest in things left behind. Happy to share some resources on this perspective if anyone wants more info.
As for me- I’m going to have a little selection of magical tools and personal items for my niblings and friends, each picked out ahead. Just 2-6 items and that’s what they receive on behalf of me and the rest of my stuff can be picked through for usefulness by loved ones but can otherwise be donated or disposed of.
I collected so much in my teens and 20s and now it’s overwhelming. I also don’t buy much anymore and look around at my books and other things and think about getting rid of a lot of them.
Aloha Thorn! Heard you talk during Llewellyn Con 2022 and just wanted to hear more from you! I love these kind of thought exercises, and you bring up a great point… truthfully I don’t think anyone even knows how to deal with my massive collections of books, Tarot/Oracle decks, crystal skulls, crystals, wands, statues, artwork, etc. and I’m not sure if they even have any idea about what’s worth money and what’s not worth selling 😬 How do we educate our people on what they should do with our stuff? I’m just hating the idea of them not getting the money that I know some of the stuff is worth. Even if they don’t want to keep it 😅
I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your father! It's tough to figure out what to do with the stuff for sure magical or not. I have found that some items I have just seem to get lost also. it's interesting for sure.
I have also put some thought in to ware my stuff will go when I'm gone. Im 40 years old, single, never married and have no kids. And sadly I have no reason to believe that this will ever change. I don't really care what happens to the vast majority of the little amount of stuff I have. But there are a few things that I would like to try to get passed on to fellow witches. Because I do have animist beliefs and a witch is more likely than most to share this belief. My large ( about 5 gallon ) couldron will likely be the easiest thing to find a witchy home fore but my anvil and smiting hammer will be difficult. I mean how many witches do you know that would actually use such things as intended? In a perfect world I could find a home fore my anvil with a whole coven who like me view smithcraft and witchcraft as one in the same. But let's face it. Thats probably not a thing. Fortunately however im in good health and likely have a bit of time to figure this all out.
I like to watch “American Pickers” and they sometimes run into a spouse, son or daughter of a collector that has died and they often have no interest in the collection or have any idea of its (monetary) value. Hopefully it ends up in the hands of someone who’ll appreciate it, but sometimes it doesn't.
It’s probably a good idea to think about where you want your stuff to go after you die if they are things that you care about.
My very first wand is a length of rosebush from Mom's garden is that object for me. It cost me nothing but has may years of time & sentimental value.
I'm always surprised with how much I spent on crystals and I don't frequently use them.
This video brought so much to my attention. When I first began my journey into witchcraft I got a white sea shell while we were on a family vacation. An old woman was selling all kinds of shells and jewelry. But I grabbed a shiny, smooth white shell. It cost me one dollar. In its simplicity I saw the beauty. I held it and felt the goddess. It's been on every altar I've ever made. Even now as a 34 year old, and I have alot of statues. That shell means more to me than them. Because She was with me then. When I was searching for a Goddess representation for my simple shoebox altar, She led me to that white sea shell.
Great topic! When we downsized our 3 bedroom home to live in a house bus I gave a lot of my "stuff" away to other practicing witches I knew would appreciate and respect it. The books I gave away were all ones I could not purchase digitally so still have a collection, we now live in a tiny house so have more room than the bus. My hand made items gifted to me are my most treasured items, from my athame, wand, bowls, pen stand, wooden box my 34 yr old son made me when he was at primary school aged around 10 to "put my witchie treasures in".
My absolute favourite witchy stuff is my second hand items , altar items and books . I have two brass goblets a matching pair one for each altar , they were a steal and I love them❤ I repurpose jar candles with lids , clean them out cleanse them and put my herbs in them , Ive spent way too much money on jars for herbs in the past !! I'm a newbie , love your channel 😊
Once again, your timing is weirdly prescient. While I do purchase a fair amount of books, tools, and ingredients, I've found that the things I use the most and that have the most meaning are gifted or found. I truly believe that the heart of good magick and witchcraft lies in intention. Thanks as always and blessed be💗
This is an awesome topic and one I talk about frequently amongst my chat servers. Tools can be great, but we don't have to 'collect them all' so to speak. I love putting emphasis on getting what you need and what you'll use, especially since it's become so commercialized to us. And, while that makes it more accessible, it also can make us fall into more capitalism of always buying, but not necessarily using. For me, I will be donating my altar tools to one of my friends and a temple in the Wiccan church of Canada when I pass on.
Sorry to hear of the loss of your father! One way to pass things on is to give them to a Pagan Library, for example. the Adocentyn Research Library. Of course the libraries need some financial support as well for rent, shelving, supplies.
Thank you! And yes, that’s a good idea, I think. I just worry about the financial stability of organizations like that in the longterm. Hopefully those become a really viable option in the coming decades.
I have this big grey army trunk that is leftover from my dad's military career. First it was used as a coffee table at my brothers home. Then he moved out of the country and somehow that trunk was left to me. Then it became my first altar and now as I'm moving I have packed the majority of my magical stuff in it. And luckily I have a daughter and we have made a deal that she will take all my magical stuff when I'm gone and keep them in the family.
And I'm currently in a process with our new home that I will decorate my magical room with lots of ingerited family objects like grandmoms carpet, great grandad's writing table etc. I think that adds an extra ancestral vibe to my special room to have not only pictures of people on my ancestral altar but also alot of their stuff.
This was great! One of my most treasured “things” is a large flat stone I found… it’s roughly a foot long, 8 inches wide, and an inch thick… About 20 years ago I was getting started and this book I was learning from (which, looking back really was a terrible book but we all start somewhere lol) said I needed a large stone that I could potentially stand on to represent the Stone of Destiny… I found it in the river bed that traveled through our family ranch and I’ve held onto it ever since. I don’t use it in the way the original book laid out anymore but instead I use it as a small sacred space for burning candles or other smaller workings especially when I’m outside and away from my regular altar space.
I’ve written detailed instructions to my sons about what to do with all of my magical stuff. It’s kept with my will. They don’t practice themselves so I’ve had to explain why certain things must be burnt or buried with me etc in the letter. They are used to seeing the things on my altars but have never seen inside my witch store cupboard & won’t know what my personal poppet is or how important it is unless I leave the instructions. I also don’t want them being shocked by some of my spell ingredients. If it feels like the time is right I may well show them the stuff before I die but I wanted to make sure the issue is covered in case of sudden unexpected death.
After dealing with both my dads & then a few years later my mum’s ordinary stuff when they died I didn’t want my sons to have to go through all that added angst of what to do with my magical stuff.
I've been thinking a lot about this exact thing. I'm 65, have had cancer treatment 2 years ago and a couple health concerns. My family has no magical interest. I do have 3 close friends in the craft and a few magical acquaintances. Those 3 friends are quite a bit younger than I, younger than my children even lol so I've basically left word for them to be able to take my tools and anything they want from my library. Any books they don't want I've asked my daughter to give them to either a local used book/magical shop or half price books. Mostly because I want people who want them to be able to find them and half price books is always low on their magical section and the witchy population is always scouring that store. My daughter has agreed to take any dogs that I may leave behind and my son and his girlfriend will take household items since he's a near hoarder and daughter is near minimalist lol. Beyond that I'm trying to work my way through clearing out things myself.
My offering bowl is something I made as a kid… or at least just painted. Perfect size. Just handy. I don’t really have attachments to it though and I’d like to make one out of a leaf mold someday. When I die I don’t care about my stuff lol! So long as my animals are taken care of that’s all I care about. When my grandmother died I acquired a lot of her stuff. The main thing from her that hold a lot of meaning for me is still her watch. It’s what got me started on this path in a recurring dream. She was also super Christian. 🤣 Hope you are well, sorry to hear about your dad.
Fantastic topic! I feel that we don't discuss the BOS/Grimoire topic nearly enough. We (generally speaking) get so precious about it that many of us are afraid to even put a single mark in the gorgeous, leather-bound books we purchase with the romanticized ideal that we will create this epic tome that will be handed down for generations. If you haven't watched Molly Roberts video "Rock Your Grimoire" yet, I encourage you to. It helped me work my way through all the reasons I wasn't getting serious about my BOS and understand what I wanted to achieve vs what I thought I was supposed to accomplish.
My magical tools tend to be mundane items that could be later donated to a charity shop without much issue regarding what they were used for previously. One of my favorite things is a big wooden spoon that I picked up for less than 10 bucks. It was an exercise in manifestation and it worked brilliantly, so it serves as more of a reminder to me than anything else. In contrast, I bought a mezzaluna knife that I had intended to use for herbs, but still haven't put forth the effort to study in-depth. So I was thinking of rehoming it.
I do intend to get a will done up in the near future, with instructions to donate my books to a library or second-hand bookstore so there is at least the hope someone else will get enjoyment out of them. Thank you for giving me more to consider.
Really looking forward to this one!
My favorite unexpected loves amongst my tools are a couple of dollar store margarita glasses that I use as braziers. The center is indented perfectly to hold a little charcoal disk. They don't conduct heat down the stem or up to the rim. The smoke of burning herbs sort of collects in the bowl and then puffs out in fairly large clouds of smoke that disperse by dancing around the room. They are pretty cool. The only important thing is not to let any burning stuff get bellow the charcoal or a sudden burst of heat can break the stem. Also, my father once gave me a cane for Christmas, the top of which un screws into a compass and if you take it off there is a concealed flask in the cane proper. For no apparent reason I decided to stick some bird feather to it and wrap a couple of plush snakes around and ta da... a caduceus. As goofy as it looks, when it's in my hand I feel powerful. Least favorite is a spear. My two best friends in college and I got coned into being guys hanging out in the back ground holding spears and wearing medieval garb in a production of Macbeth in my senior year. At the last party of the year we were hunting around for souvenirs of our last days at school and discovered that back stage was unlocked so we grabbed one of the spears, which ended up in my trunk.. then my house and more than 38 years later.. it's still with me. I've kept thinking it should be good for something. Eventually, I started using it as a trigger and a wand when I work with a god form of Odin. I love it and it feels right and powerful in my hand, but it's too big for my space, if I turn around without thinking... it breaks somethings.... like in a bad slapstick comedy. When I try to describe a gematrical figures or sigals in the air... the back of it smacks into things. It's more trouble than its worth.. but I think it loves me ha ha ha. As far as what will become of them when I die. Don't know. I don't have anyone in mundane life who is interested. No down line... my executors, or the state will probably just throw it all away or sell it. One tip on death and stuff though.. I tend to give books as gifts for birthdays and holidays. After the deaths of my father and grandmother, a lot of them came back to me and given how hard it is for me to just dispose of books... well.. if you give people books as gifts, not only should they be something the recipient would like.. but they should be something that you might be interested in... if... you find them all coming back to you some day.
I'm so sorry about the loss of your beloved father
My thrift store candy dish is a small offering bowl that a highschool boyfriend made in ceramics class and gave to me. I have a few other items that have been with me for even longer and are too precious to even speak about. I loved this video 🙏
I love your thoughts about the books and journals. When I started out I had this really romantic idea of writting all the information I find in books ready to pass down to a future child or whoever I would feel would benefit from it. As my practice advanced I realized that I was flat out disagreeing with most of the information I wrote in my BOS and my Grimoire, and found that I had put a lot more energy into making my practice personnal to the point where it wouldn't serve anyone else the way it serves me. I simply realized that my very romantic idea was simply not practical.
Right? Cuz it’s always evolving..... it’s like even tho I have hundreds of books, none is THE book, but they all have gems sprinkled throughout, which actually seem to change depending on where you’re at in your craft - baffling
@@Nectar_Ix exact!
Its so funny you talk about the Book of Shadows. I delved into the world of witchcraft only a year and a half ago, and I knew from the beginning that I wanted a BOS, but it wouldn't look anything like a lot of witches books. I have terrible handwriting and Zero drawing ability. So my BOS is spread between a few notebooks, paperback style that are cute on the outside, but clearly ugly on the inside. And that's ok by me. I never intended it to be passed down to anyone, I don't pretend to ever have something in that book that someone else can't get from other sources. My tool of particular sentimental value and attachment is the wand that I made. I'm teaching myself woodworking as a trade, and its the first thing I ever turned on my lathe. Its beautiful, made from Wild Olive wood from my family farm. Thanks for a great thought provoking video!
the vast majority of my "magickal tools" i created in my garden, gourds for drums/rattles/diddly bow/warhorn/didgeridoo/masks, red clay i dug up at the lake for sigils/writing/drawing, following and learning about the seasons and nature by gardening. my wife and i are teaching our kids how to do these things so although my magickal tools might not be used by them they are being taught how to create their own.
Because I live in a very conservative area, I've been kind of forced to be in the closet. Most of my objects are thrifted items that have multiple uses, things that don't necessarily have any religious connotation except to me. And I thought alot about what will happen to my stuff when I go. Because of this I just assume that my stuff will be divided up between my family and what's left will be donated. My physical books are few and hopefully will make it to a good home. Most are ebooks and will float in the cloud untouched. Most of my belongings will go back to serving a non spiritual life, but one I hope will give some comfort and remembrance to those who loved me. Those items that go to those who don't know me, I hope they give joy in whatever role they play in the lives of those who find them while thrifting, just as I have had. My daughter is now interested in the occult and she might see some of my tools as necessary to her practice, if so they might continue on as some sort of sacred thing.
Thank you for this video. I’ve been thinking about this subject lately, well since my vehicle accident. I started to give away my things or sell them to other witches. Mostly books I’ve read and no longer need. Altar decor, candles, statues, and loads of incense, Tarot/Oracle cards.
I’ve only kept a few things that I do use all the time, which is not much. The other stuff I had no connection to and didn’t want anymore bc I never used them.
So when I do leave here and move on I know my loved ones won’t be overwhelmed with everything I left behind. I also know my daughter will use what I’ve left behind.
I also canceled my witchy subscription boxes.
The best gift you can leave your loved ones when you are gone is to not burden them with all the thigs that burdened you in your life.
My best friend (and fellow pagan) has been given instructions to remove all magical paraphernalia from my home when I die so as not to hurt my parents. Dad wouldn't be surprised, but Mom is VERY Christian, and I'll be dead, so aside from wanting someone to put a gold coin under my tongue, which they wouldn't be able to see anyway, I don't really care. At this point anyway, maybe that will change as I get older. What she does with my stuff is really up to her. She might keep some stuff (she worships Loki too). Hopefully she'd give my Hestia altar things to my cousin who would appreciate it. I don't know if anyone would really appreciate all of my books. Which is a pity. My library isn't as extensive as yours, but I'm still proud of it.
Great video and topic!
Very interesting topic! The value of our stuff depends on us, and when we die the value can also die. Our civilisation has also lost the sense of tradition, wich means stuff and habits that will survive us. It's interesting to put awareness on it when we buy something, also to be aware of what we want to transmit to our family! Sorry for my english and good luck to deal with the stuff of your father.
My most used magical tool so far has been my staedtler mechanical drawing pencil I got from a set of liners. I unexpectedly fell in love with using it in art, and use it now for carving into candles since I already had a connection with it, and I love how it's a tool used for mundane and magickal things. I'll probably find something else to carve with eventually, since it's not the best for carving, but as of now, it works well enough for me.
I am very attached to my $2 water dish that also came from the thrift store! Immediately, I was reminded of oysters and that famous verse from The Sea Goddess. It has scalloped edges, and the inside is a gorgeous soft coral/pink color. Also has a handle, which is perfect for use in circle. It's such a feminine and delicate thing- definitely not my style but it just felt right!
Looking forward!! 🥰🌿🌀🌟
My husband and I have often thought about what would happen to our stuff after we pass, since we don’t have kids. I’m mostly worried about my ancestor altar and my shrines. Will it just be trashed?
My most used “magical tool” by far is my phone. Aside from using it for learning via UA-cam or reading books I regularly use it to play guided meditations or background music for workings. I guess anybody could make use out of a phone so if I died it would probably be resold, but it likely wouldn’t be used for witchery in the way I use it.
lmao an MLM of western spirituality killed me. Unexpected magical tool for me is a walking stick from when I was a kid, made out of a pretty piece of cherry wood I found in the woods. We've been through so many adventures, but now that I'm 30 (and 6'2) I have definitely outgrown it. I recently chopped the whole thing into discs, sanded, sealed and carved them to create an anglo-frisian rune set. Transforming the tool from one into another has added a whole other dimension to my runic practice, and it is easily one of my most connected tools. But to others? It's a bag of wood chunks, and who knows where they'll end up after I pass.
I totally understand your thing about the candy dish. I have a couple of things I am bonded to like that too and they are, what most people would see as "meh" items but they have been a part of my spiritual journey from the very beginning. I have a small sedimentary rock that shows several years of geological change. It's fits in the palm of my hand. I've had it since childhood. It represents earth on my daily alter. This rock is a part of me. I have a small conch-style shell. It too fits in the palm of my hand. I've hand it since childhood as well. It represents water on my daily (always set up) alter. I am totally attached to it. I have a Blue Jay feather that literally fell at my feet as I was playing in the fields on the farm I grew up on. It's beautiful and large...likely a wing or tail feather. It's air on my daily alter. These three things are especially precious to me and I would cry if I ever lost them.
Because my own next to the oldest granddaughter is Pagan minded I gave her two box loads of my books before I left she was thrilled beyond belief
I just recently moved and actually have to get rid of half of my whitchy books because I don't have room for them all so it's funny you bring up stuff
I will so buy some from you if you want to sell them
😂 esoteric MLM l'm dying 😂
Great video. When you said that downlines were like MLMs for western esotericism, the caption read "westerners and terrorism."
Hahahaha blessed
Litha blessings to you sandy from devon England 🌛🌕🌜
Perfect timing, Thorn! I've just been reorganizing and looking through all my ~stuff.~ yes, I'm more inspired to use them again, but I can't use all of them at once. So much stuff.
I’ve been going through my closets and giving a lot of stuff away or reselling it! It’s amazing what you can forget you have!
@@drawingKenaz it really is!! Then of course the question of, "do i want to use this again?" comes up.
Great topic! I’m working towards becoming a death educator and I think about this a lot. Having some plans in place (even loose plans) for your most precious stuff- especially in the event of an unexpected passing is one of the greatest gifts people can leave for their loved ones. It’s such a burden to leave grieving people to also sort out other people’s attachments and interest in things left behind. Happy to share some resources on this perspective if anyone wants more info.
As for me- I’m going to have a little selection of magical tools and personal items for my niblings and friends, each picked out ahead. Just 2-6 items and that’s what they receive on behalf of me and the rest of my stuff can be picked through for usefulness by loved ones but can otherwise be donated or disposed of.
I collected so much in my teens and 20s and now it’s overwhelming. I also don’t buy much anymore and look around at my books and other things and think about getting rid of a lot of them.
Aloha Thorn! Heard you talk during Llewellyn Con 2022 and just wanted to hear more from you!
I love these kind of thought exercises, and you bring up a great point… truthfully I don’t think anyone even knows how to deal with my massive collections of books, Tarot/Oracle decks, crystal skulls, crystals, wands, statues, artwork, etc. and I’m not sure if they even have any idea about what’s worth money and what’s not worth selling 😬
How do we educate our people on what they should do with our stuff? I’m just hating the idea of them not getting the money that I know some of the stuff is worth. Even if they don’t want to keep it 😅
I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your father! It's tough to figure out what to do with the stuff for sure magical or not. I have found that some items I have just seem to get lost also. it's interesting for sure.
I have also put some thought in to ware my stuff will go when I'm gone. Im 40 years old, single, never married and have no kids. And sadly I have no reason to believe that this will ever change. I don't really care what happens to the vast majority of the little amount of stuff I have. But there are a few things that I would like to try to get passed on to fellow witches. Because I do have animist beliefs and a witch is more likely than most to share this belief. My large
( about 5 gallon ) couldron will likely be the easiest thing to find a witchy home fore but my anvil and smiting hammer will be difficult. I mean how many witches do you know that would actually use such things as intended? In a perfect world I could find a home fore my anvil with a whole coven who like me view smithcraft and witchcraft as one in the same. But let's face it. Thats probably not a thing. Fortunately however im in good health and likely have a bit of time to figure this all out.
You're leaving behind your legacy wonderful
You're calling the downline I call it a Legacy
But what's an MLM? I'm always the last to catch jokes! Thanks for the video. 💚
MLM = multi-level marketing, AKA pyramid selling
Will stuff even be a thing? If you learned off witchtok, your grimoire is other people.
That’s a really interesting question!