Moderator removed post
As someone who was raised in a crumbling democracy, left and watched my homeland spiral into a genocidal theocracy, these observations come with some experience. The short version is: build and support your community. Practice other- and self-care as if your life depends on it - because it does.
Craft is extremely useful in setting intentions and manifesting, but it will not overturn governments overnight. Capitalism and patriarchy wrecked havoc over our cultures for decades and we have only tasted the first spoonful of the stew cooked by previous generations. Leaving is an option - I have, I'm happy that I did, but I cannot wholeheartedly recommend. Immigration is a tough experiences and it's nearly impossible to predict the struggles we may face someplace else.
In the hardest moments, in the darkest nights, it was only friends and family that made a difference. It's scary to realize it, but when you see the images of genocide, war, institutional violence, you must realize that no one is coming. We will not be heroically saved in an hour of need and the world will continue to wine and dine even as human rights and lives are lost. What we have is our communities, our friends and neighbors, our chosen family. Be the neighbor you wish to have. Build friendships that overcome personal and political differences. Work hard to heal your grief and share what you learn. Stay empathetic, listen when you disagree, listen even to your racist uncle. Tell him that you disagree. He's also frightened and anxious and if he still loves you, he may be of help one day.
Craft can support you and your loved ones. Your work and practice will become increasingly important as time passes because in great darkness each candle shines brighter.
Good luck, sister. We're rooting for you all from across the ocean.
Thank you because we are terrified and need all the fire and power we can get. Or at least I'm terrified and pretty gutted about how quickly my rights have been taken away.
you must realize that no one is coming.
This is the hardest part because we are so primed to wait for a savior. There is never a savior folks. We are the ones we have been waiting for, and no one else is going to help us.
Thank you for sharing this. You are incredibly thoughtful and kind in your analysis of what you experienced. You sound like an awesome person. I have read other people recommend community as the main survival strategy recently and I love that you see prepping and survival as a community skill, and not an isolated/every man for himself mentality.
MLK Jr. was also anti-capitalist, but I expect this guy actually knows very little about MLK Jr.
MLK Jr. had excellent politics and you can tell because the government killed him for it.
Exactly this. When he stopped talking ONLY about Black civil rights and include those POOR people, the powers that be were like “NAAAAAH”
“Uh oh, something that might unite working people across racial lines? Shit, that was what all this racism was meant to prevent. Sounds like our friend needs some supersonic FREEDOM injections at range.”
What could be done has been tried, but witchcraft isn't exactly as depicted in Hollywood movies. No one has the power to defeat Republicans anywhere but at the polls. What can still be done now is convincing as many people as you can that voting, even for a canditate who leaves much to be desired, is absolutely necessary.
I mean, there are plenty of ways to defeat Republicans, it’s just that most of them are frowned upon by the Reddit TOS.
I hear they’re mortal and exceedingly fragile.
I agree. It's difficult to deal with powerful figures because of energetic backing, but some of the most potent entities in spirituality, namely Lilith, spit on that kind of power.
If you can, please vote, but a few prayers, protective spells, and curses could really go a long way
Like, these mfs are so old. Sending as much energy for nature to heal if ya know what I mean <3
Register to vote (vote.org)
How Voting Works - What to expect if you're voting for the first time (wikihow)
And if anyone wants to help get out to vote, would recommend this site: https://www.mobilize.us/events/get-out-the-vote/ (text-banking, post-card writing, phone-banking, etc)
but witchcraft isn't exactly as depicted in Hollywood movies.
Yes and no
Sometimes you cast a spell and something unfortunate happens to a person
Some just call it coincidence
Oh, I like this kind of spells! I hope they'll be enough, but we probably shouldn't count on that alone.
we probably shouldn't count on that alone.
Absolutely not
In my experience I used something personal to the person
I have no access to these people's personal belongings unfortunately
Especially in swing states.
The republicans haven't won the popular vote in 20 years. The dems are literally in power now and doing next to nothing. It's time we stop playing by the rules.
I understand and I agree that change is needed and long overdue in the US. However, I hope you can make sure that "stop playing by the rules" won't get Trump elected again, because that would result in a nightmare for so many people. 4 more years of Biden may look unpalatable, but 4 years of Trump will disproportionately affect those who are already struggling.
I feel like I should add a disclaimer, I am not an American, but I think I understand your situation, to some extent. My country is facing a similar issue and we have a hard time dealing with it. I'm gonna have to vote on Sunday for a member of parliament who I profoundly despise, because it'll be her or a fascist who gets elected and I can't let a fascist win without even trying to stop it. I've been voting against the far right for 30 years now. It sucks, but I have no other choice.
I just hope the US manages to spare itself the worst. I am seriously worried about your future.
Progress over perfection.
Vote for 2 steps forward over 30 steps backwards. Advocate for others to vote for 2 steps forward.
I think we could use craft as a rallying point for protest, community building, mutual aid, and fulfillment of people's spiritual needs
I would like to see magic circles and wards cast in protection of homeless camps, picket lines, planned parenthoods, occupations of places of government and commerce
I would like to see the kind of magic of random chance used in divination deployed to choose leaders through sortition/government by lot to create a supreme jury with the power to overrule the courts.
I would like to see people meeting up in the thousands to curse politicians, exorcise the government, disrupt arms shipments, etc.
I would like to see people meeting up in the thousands to curse politicians, exorcise the government, disrupt arms shipments, etc.
I and a few other witches are getting together (in spirit) at midnight this Wednesday (when it's technically July 4th) for this stuff, though largely to deal with politicians (specifically the bleached blonde Dorito). Feel free to spread the word
Meow, what's y'alls time zone? I'm MST.
I would be down to join my energies and intent
We didn't really set a specific time zone, I guess just standard or whenever it's midnight in your area, so long as it's midnight
I'm scared about all of this, but I think you make a good point that we can use our energies toward protecting and building local communities, sending protection to government workers and poll workers, as well as voting for local city, state, and national candidates who are more progressive or at least moderate in their views. We may or may not be able to prevent a Trump presidency, but we might be able to have a democratic congress, and democratic or centrist governors and impartial judges which can help our local communities to push back against extremist policies and legislation. Along with donating time or money to candidates and to groups like the ACLU and rural legal assistance, which helps provide free or low cost legal services to people in great need.
Talk to everyone you know who is voting age and tell them to VOTE. And vote for all the local elections too! Sign petitions. Spread the word about P.2025, so many do not know about it. I'm sure you have "single issue voters" in your life, actually talk to them about the ramifications of voting such a way. I suggest looking up "street epistemology" for help on navigating these topics. Be loud! Remind those unsure of Biden that his administration is young, and his team is far better than Trump's.
The only thing we can do here is vote in those who want to change the system. The system broke down long ago and needs to be raised and rebuilt to something new. I live in Arkansas. I have a shite governor and legislature. I'm waiting for them to foot a bill similar to OK and/or LA. I will of course fight it any way I can.
While I agree that we should vote for the least worst candidate, the ruling class will never allow someone who will actually fundamentally change anything for the better to even be on the ballet, and even with someone like Bernie, who wouldn't have fundamentally changed the system but would have made things a lot better, he was still blocked from above when he started to pick up steam and it actually seemed like he had a chance. We should organise on a community level and form strong feminist, leftist groups to use direct action to fight for legislature on a grassroots level rather than solely through electoralism, which we all understand is broken at this point.
None of this is meant to disagree with you, but just to share my perspective. As much as I hate Biden, I can sadly understand why many are choosing to vote for him instead of a less terrible third party candidate that would just lose to Trump, and we're in pretty well the exact same position in Canada with the far right wannabe Republicans and the even more fascist party being really popular and popular respectively. Not much of a chance for the NDP to win, like it would basically just be a wasted vote, while the conservatives plan to remove safe supply programs so that opioid overdoses go up massively overnight and people lose access to life saving medications. How can I do anything but vote strategically when that's on the line, along with abortion rights, a hate war against trans people, etc? Even the liberals could lose, so splitting the vote with the NDP is risky.
Make sure you don’t bring up Gaza what America and Biden backed, financed, and equipped Israel to do.
Also, make sure do not bring last Thursday debate. They may call it elder abuse to keep him there.
This this this! As much as 3rd party makes more sense on paper, they won't win. A 3rd party vote against republicans is a vote for republicans.
https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote[register to vote if you have not](https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote)
I hate Christianity and all it stands for, love thy neighbor is contradictory and all positives exclude people who don't fit their narratives. I grew up christian and I realized how shitty it was that I was suicidal and asked God to help or at least give me some sign he's there. I got no sign and figued he isn't real because no lpvong god would do something like that and by the offchance he's real, he isn't worth worshipping anyways
Were facing a similar dilemma here in Canada. Justin Trudeau hasn't been the greatest leader, but most of his failures come from ignorance rather than malice and the alternative is frankly far more terrifying. The CPC has been rapidly tumbling further to the right and has the backing of an international fascist group.
Trudeau is a neoliberal ghoul, but the CPC is horrifying and can't be allowed in. Splitting the vote with the NDP can't happen, I wish they would get it all and the liberals endorse them (lol) but that won't happen.
I think best case scenario right now is the LPC wins one last minority government and a leadership race occurs shortly after. As much as I'd love to see serious political reform I doubt there will be any LPC candidate with a progressive vision for the country who can gain the support of parliament, and the NDP has been a shell of itself ever since Layton stepped down.
This is gonna be the first federal election I'll be able to vote in, so it feels like a losing fight from day one. I hope when push comes to shove I'll have enough of a spine to stand up for what I believe in.
That’s the problem I see, we’re next door but don’t have the extremity of what you guys are going thru, but what are the choices?? It feels like things are getting worse every day and it’s terrifying. I have a trans teen and she’s scared to go outside. She’s 18 and has sm anxiety that getting a job - something so simple as a right to adulthood - has her paralyzed. I don’t have answers, but I’d sure like some!!!
So it’s not just voting. It’s going physically to protests or rallies or union meetings. It’s canvassing for federal and local elections. It’s potentially becoming a local candidate. It’s getting the right people into office at all levels. It’s donating to campaigns and organizations that lobby for your best interests (e.g., the ACLU). It’s writing your congressmen and other government officials (e.g., text 504-09 for resist.bot). It’s posting reminders on social media to be brave and to be strong and to keep moving forward. It’s proudly and boldly wearing that shirt in your closet that says “abortion is healthcare.” It’s making it known that we will not back down. It’s subverting the fascist regime, actively working against them every single day.
We cannot be the Everyday German.
Vote blue! 🦋🔵🌀
I don’t know. I live in OK. I’m scared. I’m terrified. I was trying to sign my kid up for an autism assessment and the intake started asking about my mental health and childhood (just the parent submitting the form; not both parents). I was abused. I have mental health issues. I’m afraid that information will be weaponized against me if Oklahoma keeps following this pseudo-Christianity they’re pushing.
I’m working on a letter to all Democratic members of Congress (and maybe the DNC and state and local Democratic chapters) about our failures to coalesce around a message like the right has done with Project 2025 and I make suggestions about what our message should be. I intend to share it with this sub and others once I have it polished because I just don’t know what else I can do.
But I’m physically ill over all this bullshit. Thinking about it causes my chest to tighten and my stomach to roil. 😔😔😔😔
Project 2025….. is just the most recent Heritage Foundation Mandate For Leadership and Staffing Plan.
They do this for every potential R presidency. They did it for 2017 and Trump bragged about how many of their recommendations he fulfilled. You didn’t know about it then, but it still happened.
Probably every Republican administration you have every known has received these briefs and done their best to fulfill them. This isn’t new. This isn’t uniquely evil. They’ve been doing it since Reagan and they’re going to do it again for 2029 no matter what.
Get activated but don’t get scared. Don’t go doomer on us. Keep up the good fight. Just keep in mind that it didn’t start today and it doesn’t end tomorrow.
This is the same shit they have been doing and will keep doing. We need you to keep your head in the game, soldier.
Project 2025 is a considerable step up from their leadership series which were primarily policy recommendations and personnel lists. For P2025, they consulted with hundreds of conservative organizations and scholars. They spent $22 million to create a database of potential officials with detailed implementation plans for the first 180 days of the new administration. Couple that with these SCOTUS rulings and quotes like this from the Heritage Foundation President yesterday:
And so I come full circle on this response and just want to encourage you with some substance that we are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.
I definitely agree with the rest of what you said. Time to get activated and fight. Despair is a waste of time and energy.
Vote, and run for office. Vote in small elections as well as the big ones. From small elections, big assholes grow, if we don’t stop them at the lowest levels.
Powers for the good, y’all. Rituals and practices the promote positive and communal participation. All magic costs. Avoid dark and negative practices. Nihilism and cynicism create disengagement, and are their tools, not ours, and we must fight them, one friend, one acquaintance, one neighbor, one coworker at a time. Remind everyone we can that, yes, we can still do big things. That magic has never left us
Project 2025 makes me want to get a gun license for my safety even though I'm in CA
Do it. There are more Republican voters in CA than a lot of states combined.
We must protect ourselves.
Ive been considering the same lately. Also in CA.
Frankly, the US government has made it very obvious that they do not intend to ever disarm radical theocrats (or anyone, really). And who would disarm them, the cops? Based on that information, a lot of my leftist friends and I have also made decisions about owning firearms.
I live in fear, ready to abandon my belongings and live deep in the woods in a hut. Not only are they trying to force their religion on children who likely will be taught not to question authority and thus not questioning the patriarchy. Also removing protections for and dehumanizing LGBTQIA+ people would practically force many of us into hiding.
Thank you for posting about this. Not enough people know about project 2025.
You know at what point in Hitler's political career it was the easiest to stop him, and what was the most effective way to do so? Answer those two questions.
Hitler was a product of his times, not a singular occurrence. Trump is a scum, sink soup, but he's definitely not alone.
“The reason that they are apoplectic right now, the reason that so many anchors on MSNBC, for example, are losing their minds daily is because our side is winning,” he said. “And so I come full circle on this response and just want to encourage you with some substance that we are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”
Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts commenting on recent Supreme Court rulings.
It’s not a matter of just craft. Get outside and get loud. Make a sign and stand on a corner with your friends. Write on the sidewalk with chalk if you’re too shy. Don’t just sit there, get off Reddit and do something.
We vote.
We organize.
We watch the news even when it's hard.
We stay informed.
We act within our local politics.
We check in on our neighbors (both housed and unhoused).
We use every power available to us to care for our communities.
We act in alignment with the world we want to see.
We connect to nature.
We manifest or pray or spell cast or sit with our desires.
Ultimately - every action you take as a witch, or as a spiritual being is already charged with your power and intent. Weild it as the power you know it to be.
energy follows thought
When the river floods, we sandbag. When the fire is burning all it touches, we bring water to quench it. Winds upset the order we establish, but we learn how to tie things down so they are unmoved by the gale. The earth is the master we must consider before building, for there is no escaping her anger. This is a human situation, and it requires human concepts brought together by many people with eyes to see and ears to hear. Beat the swarm at their own game. This is a question of our future. WE have to get off our collective rears and get active sandbagging the school district chairs, the local government, all these neglected corners need to be dusted and swept of the cobwebs religious doctrine has instilled. These things do nothing to help the orphan or the widow. They do not console the grieving, or house the homeless. By that metric alone I would even peruse the legal books to find extra tools to extract the cancers setting in. WE also must LIVE BY EXAMPLE. Be peaceful and solid in the faces of the idiots, if only to send them into further hysterics. Be unassailable in your conduct. Unflustered by the twits. And whatever you do, give not an inch without them paying a heavy price.
I don't do offensive spell work.
I enchant my weapons because this is not just a political conflict. it's ultimately an armed conflict as well.
What can be done is run far and fast
At least vote first. Me and my gf(both of us r trans so would probably get in some deep shit if Project 2025 comes to be) are on disability so stuck in the states since we can't really work like most folks in order to leave, and seeing everyone talk about fleeing while kinda chained down(metaphorically) is just kinda terrifying. Of course I don't blame anyone who does flee cause it is scary and I want to run but please people at least try and vote first before you do
Yeah the move don’t happen for awhile until i finish school and I get my ducks in a row. My son is trans which is my biggest motivation to keep him safe
Of course. Unless we renounce our citizenship (which is difficult and expensive), we can still vote from overseas. I will always be sure to do this. https://www.democratsabroad.org/
I would give anything to be able to leave this country before it gets worse & I fear it's going to get much, much worse.
It is. I’m planning my exit. Don’t wait until it’s too late. My husband thinks I’m being dramatic but he thought I was being dramatic when I told him trump would win and when roe v Wade was overturned. I’m listening to my gut
I'm doing the same!!
SAME
I literally can't sleep. I feel sick. I've been reading too much & I'm freaking terrified.
OMG, I'm basically in the same boat. I'm so sorry. It is freaking terrifying -- you are not wrong!!
I am trying to find a sane balance between taking it seriously and gathering the information I need to make plans and not absolutely losing my ever-loving shit (not necessarily succeeding!). I had been trying to avoid the news for a few years now because of how bad it had messed me up in previous years, thinking that I don't want to sacrifice my entire mental health over things I can't control (beyond just doing my part of of voting, donating, writing, etc.). But in this case, it's reached a threshold where I feel I need to think about what I can personally do in/for my own life, in terms of getting my butt (and my tax money) out of here, so trying to focus on that aspect of what I can control.
In my case, I really do think I need/want to leave. My spouse is not 100% on board, which is scary, but I am focusing on how it's still up to me to make the plans necessary to meet my need for basic safety (and I super don't want to be a tax resident, especially if the election goes wrong in November). So I'm making spreadsheets of where we could get work visas and/or eventually permanent residency, etc. To be fair, I had been thinking about this for a few years now and already have a country in mind that I visited last year and am headed back to for a language course soon.
But it's really scary regardless. Most of my friends and family are still here, etc. It's scary on a global level too. Sending big hugs to you and anyone else reading this who feels similarly.
Omg everything you wrote is exactly how I feel! I had a few years reprieve while Biden was running things. I got off of social media, stopped watching news & posting political stuff all the time. I had to for my mental health. Now I know, there's no more avoiding it & burying my head in the sand. I know if I leave the US, chances are I might only see my mom one or two more times in my life & I just don't think I can do that. This is a horrible situation to be in. Plus we have 3 dogs & I refuse to leave the dogs behind. There is no way.
That does sound really hard! Would Mexico or Canada be an option for you? We also have to figure out how to move our cat.
I wish! My husband couldn't get a work visa for Canada because he has a remote job in the States that he would not give up. He's been there for a very long time. I've heard it's incredibly hard to get citizenship in Canada. I would definitely not be interested in living in Mexico, although my Spanish is getting better! 🤣
If you must or stay and fight if you can.
My option is Norway
Have you heard of a book called ‘Foundation’ by Isaac Asimov? That is essentially my plan. I have given up on this society, and this world, so I am planning on setting up a bastion of science, knowledge, education, and research, and then letting the rest of the world tear itself apart. The world is pretty much beyond saving at this point, so the only option left is to watch it all burn, and then rebuild, only better. Ideally, I would also like to gather all the downtrodden to protect them, though.
Sadly true. But hopefully in those 4 years some type of left wing movement could grow, still I doubt any real change can ever come from electoralism. Doesn't hurt to try and prevent the damage that can be caused through it, though.
There's also the fact that the ultrareligious/older voting block will shrink over time while the genz/millenial/eventually alpha block will only grow. There is *some hope if we prevent the christofascist coup from happening the next couple of elections.
Unfortunately social movements are weakest under democrats as the more liberal elements dissappear
Project 2025 is happening with or without a Rep. win. The Heritage Foundation has been working on this for decades. It will go faster with a R win for sure but the Dems aren't doing anything about it.
We are simply choosing who is most capable of helping our country through its next phase - known or unknown. Project 2025 has become a much more plausible outcome, based on recent indications, but it is not the only one.
Our democracy will need to stand on its own two feet to survive, not forced by man. With automation so prevalent, which requires RULES to follow and not the exception based quicksand everything else has been built on forEVER, we have a new viewpoint to observe OURSELVES. And some of it is more horrifying than any movie.
We here are ALL well aware there is more to this life, and this particular world, than meets the eye. Knowing and KNOWING, regardless of what adjective is placed upon it (ie. religion, witchcraft, science, etc) are simply different states of being.
Trust your KNOWING, whatever it is, and help your surroundings trust whatever will help them. Not everyone has the resilience necessary to face a world where nothing they see is true, and anything they want is possible. We collectively need time to adapt. Not everyone wants to fight their demons. Some just DONT WANT TO SEE THEM, no matter what. Here, we have had some practice.
Be kind, be strong, and know not everyone will make it IF the wheels come off. Put your oxygen mask on first, trust we have what we need personally and collectively to help our neighbors and community, and make the best choices we can based on the information we have at any given time.
I know what I would decide today. Friends, I cannot commit for tomorrow. We have about 6 lifetimes to go in the next 4 months….and then many more dealing with the ramifications of those 6. Save your strength and build patience. We as a species have some very tough TOUGH conversations ahead. And I am as surprised as I ever was how terribly awful a lot of folks are when the questions get real.
4 missing replies
Hi u/Informal_Original121, we appreciate your participation on r/WitchesvsPatriarchy, but your content is being removed at this time.
It might help for you to check out our full Posting Guidelines Wiki to get a better sense of how to post on WvP.
Our main goal is witchy, uplifting content with a feminist twist. ✨ WVP is curated to maintain a warm, hopeful, supportive, and uplifting environment.
If you have read this remove reason and the wiki link provided but still have questions, please reach out to Modmail rather than individual moderators.
Thanks for understanding ☺️ Blessed be. ✨